ABU DHABI — Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic came from behind to beat American Ashlyn Krueger 4-6 6-1 6-1 in the Abu Dhabi Open final to claim a ninth WTA title and first since becoming a mother.
The Swiss former world number four, who is now outside the top 150, gave birth to her daughter Bella in April last year. She becomes the first mother to claim a WTA singles title since Elina Svitolina won in Strasbourg in May 2023.
It was also the biggest title won by a mother on the WTA tour since Victoria Azarenka triumphed at the 2020 Cincinnati Open, which is a WTA 1000 event.
Bencic’s last trophy had also come in Abu Dhabi in February 2023 and the 27-year-old Tokyo Olympics gold medallist has a 9-0 record at the event.
“It was a big dream for me to come back and play in front of her (Bella) and to win the tournament,” Bencic said according to Reuters.
“This is the first tournament I’ve won twice. I will have to come back here for the rest of my career!”
“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 at 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.
“In the first set, there were a couple of chances on both sides that maybe we didn’t use, and then it just went her way,” Bencic said. “I just felt like I needed to go for it a little bit more, and I started to be more aggressive and loosen up a little bit more. I tried to give everything I had, run for every shot, and kind of play all-out.”
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.
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.
Krueger, who is slated to break into the top 40 on Monday, controlled the opening set where she fired 21 winners but Bencic came back in the second with only three unforced errors.
In the decider, Bencic broke early to go 2-0 up before breaking again to take a 5-1 lead.
After two hours and 23 minutes, Bencic fired her 30th winner to claim the title, later posing with the trophy in one arm and her daughter in the other.
“It’s so impressive, you coming back, being a mother. It’s really inspirational,” Krueger said.
