"I had one injury led to another" - Belinda Bencic reveals how she didn't give up despite physical struggles hindering her comeback

Belinda Bencic opened up about her challenges, sharing how she refused to give up despite physical struggles making her comeback difficult. Since 2016, persistent injuries have hindered her progress, even causing her to drop out of the Top 100 briefly in 2017.

During the Fed Cup semifinal that year, Bencic was forced to withdraw due to a small scar on her tailbone. This injury kept her off the court for four weeks, causing her to miss nearly the entire claycourt season, including the French Open.

In late April 2017, she underwent surgery on her left wrist and didn’t return to competition until September. By then, her ranking had dropped to No. 312 in the world. For the third year in a row, injuries kept Bencic off the court for an extended period. In 2018, a stress fracture in her foot sidelined her from mid-March to late May.

On the 21st episode of the Tennis Insider Club podcast, hosted by Caroline Garcia and Borja Duran on February 24, 2025, Belinda Bencic opened up about how dealing with persistent injuries at a young age ended up benefiting her in the long run. Reflecting on her journey, she shared:

“I had these injuries where I had one injury led to another injury, and I was out for quite a bit. And I feel like that almost helped me a little bit to understand why I play tennis, that I like to play tennis before I'd almost felt like I had to be there."

The 2020 Tokyo Olympics gold medalist shared how injuries gave her a "new perspective," allowing her to appreciate the sport even more, saying,

“I was anxious on the court, trying not to lose. And then when I had these injuries, I was just really happy to be back. It gave me a whole new perspective. And I almost feel like my body, it was a way to protect myself, you know. My body kind of reacted to my mind a little bit and maybe protect myself with getting injured.”

She added:

“I really believe that's possible also like with the mental. And then, yeah, I think from then on, I learned a lot. So then I felt like I was 22, 23, and I was really mature and understood what was happening. And from then on, I think I enjoy tennis much more.”

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Belinda Bencic faced heartbreak in Dubai after Abu Dhabi glory

Belinda Bencic at Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open - Day Seven - Source: Getty

Belinda Bencic had a tough run at the 2025 Dubai Tennis Championships, facing a heartbreaking exit in the second round. The Swiss pro started strong with a first-round victory over Japan’s Aoi Ito but couldn’t keep the momentum going. In a hard-fought three-set battle, she fell to American Emma Navarro, ending her campaign earlier than she had hoped.

Earlier in February, she had a fantastic run at the Abu Dhabi Open, presented by the Abu Dhabi Sports Council. She kicked off her campaign with a match against Rebecca Sramkova and went on to defeat Veronika Kudermetova and Marketa Vondrousova, securing a spot in the semifinals.

She faced Elena Rybakina in the semifinals and advanced to the final against Ashlyn Krueger. Despite losing the first set, she fought back to win in three sets, clinching the victory. She beamed with pride after winning her first WTA title since becoming a mother and posed with the trophy, proudly holding her daughter in her arms.