When Belinda Bencic marked her emotional return to the WTA Tour by winning the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open, her heartfelt words, “just a mini dream come true,” captured the beauty of motherhood’s second chapter. Much like Naomi Osaka, Bencic transformed maternal strength into competitive fire on tour. Now at the French Open, that motherhood narrative has reignited after Caroline Garcia took a playful jab at the Swiss star’s blazing start in Paris.

After her straight-set victory over Austrian Sinja Kraus at the French Open, Belinda Bencic shared a light-hearted but emotional exchange on court with Caroline Garcia. The Swiss star secured a comfortable 6-2, 6-3 win to begin her campaign in Paris.

During the on-court interview, Garcia asked Bencic how motherhood had changed her outlook on tennis and life on tour. The question immediately shifted the atmosphere into a more personal and heartfelt direction.

“It changed a lot.. I feel very grateful we can travel with our family & go to beautiful tournaments. Soon you’ll know the same,” Bencic added. 

Garcia, however, quickly added humor to the conversation and sparked laughter inside the stadium. Breaking the emotional tone with a playful response, the Frenchwoman joked about her own plans. “Soon, but no comeback planned so far.”

For context, less than a year after officially stepping away from professional tennis, Garcia announced in March this year that she and her husband, Borja Duran, are expecting their first child. The announcement marked a major personal milestone for the former world No. 4. Fans and fellow players across the tennis world warmly celebrated the news.

The couple revealed the pregnancy through a joint social-media post filmed at the scenic Hotel Fairmont Mayakoba Riviera Maya in Mexico. In the pictures, Garcia and Duran walked together along the beach wearing blue outfits while holding sonogram photos.

In addition, the former WTA Finals champion received an emotional farewell at Roland Garros last spring before eventually playing the final match of her career at the US Open. Since retiring, Garcia has shifted her focus toward media work and personal life. Alongside her husband, she now hosts the popular “Tennis Insider Club” podcast, which launched in 2024.

Meanwhile, Bencic arrived in Paris carrying her own emotional storyline. The Swiss player missed last year’s Roland-Garros after suffering an injury in Rome. She was only able to return to competition later during the grass-court season.

Because of that difficult period, Bencic admitted she felt nervous entering this year’s tournament. Recent unexpected losses against lower-ranked players had also added pressure to her comeback journey. Earlier this year at the AO, she suffered a second-round defeat to Czech qualifier Nikola Bartunkova in three sets.

Her previous appearance in Paris had also ended painfully after a first-round loss to Elina Avanesyan, who was ranked only No. 134 in the world at the time. 

This year, however, Bencic managed to avoid another early shock by defeating Kraus comfortably in straight sets. Still, her performance showed signs that she is not yet operating at her absolute best level.

And as far as motherhood is concerned, Bencic has consistently embraced and supported fellow mothers on tour throughout her career. Her own comeback journey has only strengthened that connection even further.

Belinda Bencic sends a heartfelt message to new mom Ons Jabeur

Just last month, former world No. 2 Ons Jabeur announced the birth of her baby boy alongside her husband and fitness trainer, Karim Kamoun. The couple welcomed their son on April 20 and shared the emotional news through a joint social-media post. The message immediately touched fans, especially after months of speculation and excitement surrounding her pregnancy journey.

Throughout those months, Belinda Bencic remained one of the players most openly supportive of Jabeur. The Swiss star spoke warmly about her close friend during an on-court interview at the Credit One Charleston Open. 

“I’m very happy for her,” Bencic said in her on-court interview. “We are texting sometimes, and I’m glad she’s doing well. She’s going to be an amazing mother.”

She also explained how important motherhood had always been for Jabeur personally. “I think it was her big dream to have a baby, and I think it’s amazing that athletes choose their family as well as their career.” 

For Bencic herself, motherhood has become a central part of her own tennis journey. Few active players have managed to balance family life and elite competition as smoothly as the Swiss star. Since returning to the tour, she has repeatedly spoken about the importance of keeping her daughter  Bella close during tournaments.

“I choose to bring Bella to every tournament,” Bencic said. Her approach reflects the growing shift in women’s tennis toward supporting player-parent balance. “I spend so much time with her. I’m really grateful I have this opportunity, to have people around me that help me to do that, to be able to play and to bring Bella.” 

Bencic also shared how deeply involved she remains in her daughter’s everyday life despite the demands of professional tennis. “Literally, I wake up to her every morning, I put her to sleep every night.” 

Now through to the second round of the French Open, Bencic continues proving that motherhood and elite tennis can coexist beautifully. It will now be fascinating to see whether that emotional strength helps the Swiss star push even deeper into the Parisian Slam.