Abu Dhabi, Feb 8 (IANS) Less than four months after her return from maternity leave, Belinda Bencic made history by winning the singles title in the Abu Dhabi Open to become the first mother since 2023 to win a singles title on the WTA Tour. In a hard-fought final, Bencic defeated Ashlyn Krueger 4-6, 6-1, 6-1, coming back from losing the first set to capture the WTA 500 title on Saturday.
Bencic, the former World No. 4 and Tokyo Olympics gold medalist, took 2 hours and 23 minutes to pull off a come-from-behind victory, in just her fourth tour-level event since she gave birth to her daughter Bella in April 2024.
Switzerland’s Bencic thus became the first mother to claim a WTA singles title since Elina Svitolina hoisted the champion’s trophy at Strasbourg in May of 2023. “Obviously big emotions, of course,” Bencic said, after her win. “It was a tough final, I feel like I needed to put [on] my turbo in the second and third set. It was a really special moment, seeing Bella there in the third set.”
Overall, this is Bencic’s ninth career WTA singles title, and her first since she won this very tournament in Abu Dhabi in 2023. Bencic is a perfect 9-0 at Abu Dhabi throughout her career. Bencic’s return to elite form has not taken much time at all. Bencic contested a WTA 125 event, an ITF Challenger and Billie Jean King Cup Playoffs after her October 2024 return to action, then kicked off her WTA-level comeback at United Cup in the first week of this season.
The Swiss star quickly racked up wins on tour, including a run to the Round of 16 at the Australian Open — her first Grand Slam event since the 2023 US Open. Now, after her triumphant run in Abu Dhabi, Bencic holds a 10-3 tour-level record so far this year. Currently ranked No. 157, Bencic is the third-lowest-ranked player to win a WTA 500 title since the tournament tier was created. Only Alexandra Dulgheru (won 2009 Warsaw ranked No. 201) and Serena Williams (won 2011 Stanford ranked No. 169) are lower-ranked WTA 500 titlists.
But it was the Krueger power game that came out on top in Saturday’s first set. The rising 20-year-old American, who is projected to make her Top 40 debut on Monday, slammed 21 winners to Bencic’s eight in the opening set.
However, Bencic turned things around in the second set, firing forehand winners down the line to seal each of the first two games. Bencic swiftly leveled the match after a second set where she found 13 winners and hit only three unforced errors. Bencic, who collected a Top 5 win by beating Elena Rybakina in the semifinals, held onto all the momentum in the decider. The Swiss player hit a backhand winner to break for 2-0, then earned another break to lead 5-1 and serve for the title.
On championship point, Bencic ended one last rally with a forehand winner, her 30th winner of the match. The 27-year-old collected her first championship trophy in two years with daughter Bella in her arms.
–IANS
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