History of Belinda Bencic in Timeline

Belinda Bencic is a Swiss professional tennis player who has achieved a career-high ranking of world No. 4 in singles (February 17, 2020) and No. 59 in doubles (February 1, 2016) according to the Women's Tennis Association (WTA). She is currently the top-ranked Swiss player in women's singles.

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Full Timeline

1968: Father's family emigrated to Switzerland

In 1968, Belinda Bencic's father's family emigrated to Switzerland from Czechoslovakia to escape the Warsaw Pact invasion by the Soviet Union.

1988: Tennis returned at the Games

Since tennis returned at the Games in 1988, Bencic became only the fifth player to reach two finals at the same Olympic event.

1994: Martina Hingis Wins French Open and Wimbledon

In 1994, Martina Hingis won the girls' singles titles at the French Open and Wimbledon. Bencic was the first Swiss girl to win a junior Grand Slam singles title since Hingis in 2013.

1996: Amélie Mauresmo Wins French Open and Wimbledon

In 1996, Amélie Mauresmo won the girls' singles titles at the French Open and Wimbledon. Bencic matched this feat in 2013.

March 1997: Belinda Bencic's Birth

In March 1997, Belinda Bencic was born, marking the beginning of her life and eventual career as a Swiss professional tennis player.

1997: Hingis' US Open Quarterfinal

In 1997, Martina Hingis was a quarterfinalist at the US Open. Belinda Bencic became the youngest quarterfinalist since Hingis in 2014.

2004: Coached by Melanie Molitor

From 2004, Belinda Bencic was coached daily by Melanie Molitor, the mother of Martina Hingis.

2004: Family moved to Wollerau

In 2004, when Belinda Bencic was seven years old, her family moved to Wollerau so she could train at Melanie Molitor's academy every day.

2009: Caroline Wozniacki in top 10 of WTA rankings

In 2009, Caroline Wozniacki was in the top 10 of the WTA rankings. In 2016, Bencic entered the top-10 for the first time while still 18 years old, making her the first teenager in the top 10 of the WTA rankings since Wozniacki.

2010: Began competing on ITF Junior Circuit

In 2010, at the age of 13, Belinda Bencic began competing on the ITF Junior Circuit, reaching the final in her debut event.

March 2011: Entered first professional tournament

In March 2011, shortly after her 14th birthday, Belinda Bencic entered her first professional tournament on the ITF Women's Circuit in Fällanden, Switzerland, reaching the quarterfinals.

2011: Endorsed by Adidas

From 2011, Belinda Bencic was endorsed by Adidas for clothing and footwear.

2012: Fed Cup Debut

In 2012, Belinda Bencic debuted for the Switzerland Fed Cup team at age 14. She played in two doubles matches with Amra Sadiković, losing one and winning one.

2012: WTA Tour main-draw debut

In 2012, Belinda Bencic made her WTA Tour main-draw debut at the Luxembourg Open after winning her first two ITF singles titles.

2012: Father becomes primary coach again

In 2012, after being coached by Melanie Molitor since 2004, Belinda Bencic's father, Ivan, became her primary coach again.

2012: Won Grade 1 events

In early 2012, Belinda Bencic won two high-level Grade 1 events at the Czech International Junior Indoor Championships and the Open International Junior de Beaulieu-sur-Mer in France.

May 2013: Won first five tournaments after return

In May 2013, Belinda Bencic returned to the junior tour and won her first five tournaments of the year, extending her win streak in singles to 39 matches.

2013: Progressed in ITF events, first WTA main-draw match win

In 2013, Belinda Bencic progressed in ITF events and won her first career WTA main-draw match at the Pan Pacific Open, finishing the year ranked No. 184.

2013: Won two junior major singles titles

In 2013, Belinda Bencic won two junior major singles titles at the French Open and Wimbledon, solidifying her status as a top junior player.

2014: Breakthrough at US Open

At the 2014 US Open, Belinda Bencic had a breakthrough performance, becoming the youngest quarterfinalist since Martina Hingis in 1997.

2014: Grand Slam debut and top 100 debut

In 2014, Belinda Bencic made her Grand Slam debut at the Australian Open and reached the top 100, also becoming the youngest quarterfinalist at the US Open since Hingis in 1997.

2014: First Live Rubbers in Fed Cup

In 2014, Belinda Bencic played her first live rubbers for Switzerland in the Fed Cup World Group II against France. She won both of her singles matches but Switzerland lost the tie.

2015: Yonex 'top-to-toe' endorsement deal

In 2015, Belinda Bencic signed a 'top-to-toe' endorsement deal with Yonex, receiving clothing, footwear, and racquets from the company.

2015: Won first two WTA Tour titles

In 2015, Belinda Bencic won her first two WTA Tour titles, including the Canadian Open, where she defeated four of the top six players in the world.

2015: First Half Struggles, Grass Court Success

In the first half of 2015, Belinda Bencic faced struggles, but she turned her year around during the grass-court season, winning her maiden WTA title at the Eastbourne International.

February 2016: Reached WTA doubles ranking No. 59

In February 2016, Belinda Bencic achieved her highest WTA doubles ranking, reaching No. 59, showcasing her abilities in both singles and doubles tennis.

June 2016: Return to Top 10

In June 2016, after a strong performance at the US Open, Belinda Bencic's results placed her back in the top 10 for the first time since June 2016.

2016: Struggled with injuries, ranking fell

From 2016, Belinda Bencic struggled with a variety of injuries, causing her ranking to drop outside the top 300.

2016: Skipped Rio Olympics

In 2016, Belinda Bencic had to skip the Rio Olympics due to injury.

2016: Led Team to Semifinals

In 2016, Belinda Bencic led the Swiss Fed Cup team to the semifinals, winning both of her singles matches and the decisive doubles rubber against Germany. However, she was injured for the next tie.

2017: Hopman Cup with Roger Federer

In 2017, Belinda Bencic competed at the Hopman Cup with Roger Federer and finished in second place in their round robin group to the eventual champions France.

2017: Switzerland advanced to semifinals

In 2017, Belinda Bencic split her two singles matches as Switzerland advanced 4–1 past France.

2017: Wrist Surgery and Comeback

In 2017, Belinda Bencic struggled at the beginning of the year and underwent wrist surgery in April, returning in September and winning several tournaments to rise back into the top 100.

2017: Hired Iain Hughes as coach

In late 2017, during her recovery from wrist surgery, Belinda Bencic hired Iain Hughes as her coach.

2018: Began Dating Martin Hromkovič

In 2018, Belinda Bencic began dating fitness trainer and former Inter Bratislava footballer Martin Hromkovič from Slovakia.

2018: Eliminated by Czech Republic

In 2018, Belinda Bencic lost both of her singles matches in the Fed Cup as Switzerland were eliminated by the Czech Republic in the first round. She was unavailable for the play-off round due to injury.

2018: Hopman Cup Victory

In 2018, Bencic and Federer won all nine of their round robin rubbers at the Hopman Cup, setting up a final against Germany. After Federer won his singles match and Bencic lost hers, the Swiss team won the decisive mixed doubles rubber in straight sets, securing the Hopman Cup title.

2018: Vladimír Pláteník and Father as coach

In 2018, Vladimír Pláteník worked with Bencic from Wimbledon in July until mid-October. Her father then returned as her main coach.

2018: Endorsed by Nike

In 2018, upon her return to professional tennis after an injury layoff, Belinda Bencic became endorsed by Nike for clothing and footwear.

2018: Struggled with injuries, ranking fell

Through 2018, Belinda Bencic struggled with a variety of injuries, causing her ranking to drop outside the top 300.

2019: Mother in Top 10

In 2019, Belinda Bencic became the first mother to enter the top 10 since 2019.

2019: Best season to date

In 2019, Belinda Bencic had her best season to date, including winning the Dubai Championships, reaching the US Open semifinal, qualifying for the WTA Finals, and finishing the year in the top 10.

2019: Hopman Cup Final

In 2019, Bencic and Federer were upset by Greece in the round robin stage of the Hopman Cup but still advanced to the final where they faced Germany in a rematch of the previous year. Despite Federer winning his singles match and Bencic losing hers, they won the mixed doubles rubber to win the Hopman Cup. The final point was won by Federer after a long rally.

February 2020: Reached WTA singles ranking No. 4

In February 2020, Belinda Bencic achieved her highest WTA singles ranking of world No. 4, marking a significant milestone in her professional tennis career.

September 2020: Returned to top 10

In September 2020, Belinda Bencic returned to the top 10 rankings for the first time since 28 September 2020.

2020: Gold Medal at Tokyo Olympics

In 2020, Belinda Bencic won a gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics, marking the most significant singles title of her career.

2021: Olympic Games at Tokyo

In 2021, Belinda Bencic represented Switzerland at the Olympic Games in Tokyo. She won the gold medal in Women's Singles, defeating Markéta Vondroušová, and also won the silver medal in doubles with Viktorija Golubic.

2021: Gold and silver at Tokyo Olympics

In 2021, Belinda Bencic won a gold medal in singles and a silver medal in women's doubles at the Tokyo Olympics, marking a significant achievement in her career.

July 2022: Alpian Brand Ambassador

In July 2022, Belinda Bencic became a brand ambassador and honorary Chief Inspiration Officer for Alpian, the Swiss digital private bank.

2022: Won the Billie Jean King Cup

In 2022, Belinda Bencic and team Switzerland won the Billie Jean King Cup for the first time in history.

April 2023: End of coaching with Dmitry Tursunov

In April 2023, Bencic's coaching arrangement with Russian tennis player Dmitry Tursunov came to an end.

September 2023: Maternity Leave

In September 2023, Belinda Bencic began a maternity leave.

2023: Switched to Asics

In 2023, Belinda Bencic switched her clothing and footwear endorsement to Asics.

February 2024: Returned to Top 50

In February 2024, Belinda Bencic had not been in the top 50 for quite some time.

April 2024: Marriage and Birth of Daughter

In April 2024, Belinda Bencic married Martin Hromkovič in St. Gallen, and their daughter Bella was born that same month. She also adopted her married surname Hromkovicova in private life.

December 2024: Reached WTA 125 Open Angers Arena Loire Final

In December 2024, Belinda Bencic received a wildcard entry into the WTA 125 Open Angers Arena Loire, where she reached the final but lost to Alycia Parks. She also moved up in the WTA singles rankings, landing at world No. 481 on 9 December 2024.

2024: Returned to tour

In 2024, Belinda Bencic returned to the tour following a maternity leave.

2026: 2026 Australian Open

As of the 2026 Australian Open, this information is current.

2026: Named Most Valuable Player of the United Cup

In 2026, Belinda Bencic led Switzerland to the United Cup final. Although they lost to Poland, she was named the Most Valuable Player of the tournament for her performance. She also returned to the top 10 rankings.

2026: Mixed doubles title at Indian Wells Open

In 2026, Belinda Bencic partnered with Flavio Cobolli to win a mixed doubles title at the Indian Wells Open, adding to her list of career achievements.

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