Belinda Bencic needed a little more than an hour to get the job done at the Abu Dhabi Open. She locked horns with Veronika Kudermetova in the second round. And, it wasn’t long before her finishing act against the Russian lucky loser trended online. Naturally, some key players also took notice, including Donna Vekic.

The 2021 Tokyo Olympic gold medalist returned to action last year in October, almost a year after she went on a pregnancy hiatus to welcome her first child, daughter Bella. She previously revealed the news in November 2023, stating that she and her longtime boyfriend Martin Hromkovic – a Slovak soccer player who also doubles as her fitness coach – were on board to welcome a child.

She resumed her career by competing in several lower-ranked events before eventually helping her team Switzerland outplay Serbia in the Billie Jean King Cup playoffs. Bencic kicked off the season in Adelaide, where she dealt with a Round of 16 loss. She jetted to Melbourne for the Australian Open and before she had a chance to dig deep, American Coco Gauff cut her run short in the fourth round.

On Tuesday, February 4, the Swiss player took on Rebecca Sramkova in the opening round of the Abu Dhabi Open. Despite facing resistance, the mother of one outhit the Slovak 6-2, 3-6, 6-1 to set up a date against Kudermetova. She made short work of her Russian opponent by serving her a double bagel, 6-0, 6-0 in merely 65 minutes, to book a quarterfinal spot in the Middle East event. Her impressive performance later elicited a commending comment from Croatian Vekic. “I’m sorry what,” wrote Vekic on X.

For those unaware, the 27-year-old Swiss sensation secured the double bagel by keeping her serve unchallenged throughout the contest, coupled with six breaks of serves. A strong string of performances and a healthy baby girl on the side will go a long way for Bencic. She even opened up about her experience as a new mother on the tour last year.

Belinda Bencic shares thoughts about her daughter joining her on training days

Swiss star Belinda Bencic shared a snapshot of her daughter Bella adorably watching her play in the opening round of the Abu Dhabi Open. This wasn’t the first time her baby girl saw her play. After registering a win at the W75 event in Hamburg last year, the 27-year-old reserved a few words to talk about her new life as a mother.

She told the media in Hamburg: “We have cherished every second with Bella. She is a very happy baby. She lets me sleep at night and comes with us to the court or during training. This way, I can fully focus on my discipline.” Bencic also remarked on adjusting to the tour’s hectic schedule while tending to her baby, acknowledging that it was a part of the learning process.

“At home, we’ve managed to find our rhythm. Now, it’s about adjusting that to the ATP and WTA schedule. This is the first time she’s flying. I’m not seeking perfection just yet, but I need to see where my weaknesses lie. I had to listen to my body and take it easy,” she added.

Bencic ranked 157, will next square off against the winner of Kazakh Yulia Putintseva and wildcard Marketa Vondrousova for a place in the last four of the Abu Dhabi Open.