A tennis career, like many professional sports, is full of peaks and troughs for the athletes who attempt to navigate the logistical, physical and financial pressures.
However, special stories are always on the horizon. Take Oliver Tarvet: the British qualifier ranked 719 in the world who made the second round of Wimbledon.
In the last couple of years, Mirra Andreeva has stolen the headlines on the WTA Tour after breaking onto the big stage as a 15-year-old.
However, redemption stories are often the most powerful of them all. Ones that stir emotion within the most dispassionate followers of tennis.
These statements are no less true when discussing the recent history of a player who has just made the Wimbledon semi-finals, despite being ranked 489 in the world at the start of 2025.
Belinda Bencic reaches the Wimbledon semi-finals after being ranked 489th at the end of 2024
Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic, formerly ranked 12 in the world, is no stranger to the big stage, having won the gold medal for women’s singles at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
The 28-year-old, who has nine career WTA Tour titles to her name, has also performed well at Grand Slam tournaments, having reached the US Open quarter-finals twice and semi-finals once.
However, after being ranked 17th in the world at the end of 2023, Bencic’s ranking plummeted to 913 in the world by the end of 2024.
It was a remarkable drop for the Olympic gold-medallist, one that is worth explaining.
Why did Belinda Bencic drop to 489th in the world?
In November 2024, Belinda Bencic announced that she was pregnant, and subsequently she missed six months of the tour.
After giving birth to her daughter in April 2024, Bencic did not return to the tour until October of the same year.
Bencic returned to the court at an ITF event in Hamburg before competing in Luxembourg. In December, she reached the final of the WTA 125 Open Angers Arena Loire after receiving a wildcard – providing a massive boost to her ranking.
Speaking to The Athletic in January, Bencic said: “I’m really confident about getting back to where I was and even better.
“I felt really inspired and brave enough to have a baby mid-career because a lot of other athletes and tennis players have done it before.
“It’s not like this is not possible. Everyone showed that it’s possible, and they got back to the same level.”
Belinda Bencic faces Iga Swiatek in Wimbledon semi-finals after statement 2025 campaign.
After a statement campaign to the fourth round of the Australian Open, Bencic won the Abu Dhabi Open in February before reaching the quarter-finals of Indian Wells.
After withdrawing from the French Open with an arm injury, Bencic has bounced back to reach the semi-finals of Wimbledon, beating seeded Mirra Andreeva and Ekaterina Alexandrova on her journey to the last four.
However, her next opponent could be the toughest she has faced at SW19 so far. Five-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek stands in her way, with the Pole producing the best grass court tennis of her career during this year’s championships.
However, the Swiss player can take great confidence going into the blockbuster clash, having dug deep to overcome prodigy Mirra Andreeva 7-6 7-6 despite failing to serve out the match at 5-4 in the second set.
Regardless of what happens for the rest of the tournament, Bencic looks set to return to the WTA top 20.
