Belinda Bencic's Daughter Steals the Show at Charleston Open

Belinda Bencic is looking to win her second title at the 2026 Charleston Open. After losing to American phenom Coco Gauff in the quarterfinals of the Miami Open last week, Bencic is ready to bounce back.

Bencic noted she was dealing with menstrual cramps at Hard Rock Stadium. “I don’t think it’s a taboo topic anymore, which I love,” Bencic told reporters. “I think other female athletes have also spoke about being done hiding this topic.

“It’s no excuse if you lose a match, but it’s something we deal with.”

The Swiss tennis star, the No. 3 seed in Charleston, previously won the tournament in 2022, almost two years before she welcomed her daughter, Bella, with husband Martin Hromkovic.

When Bencic takes on Dayana Yastremska in her opening match at Credit One Stadium on March 31, Bella will be there to cheer her on.

Belinda Bencic’s Daughter Is the Perfect Ball Girl During Charleston Open Warmups

A few days before the Charleston Open kicked off, Bella stole the show with her tiny tennis racket, waving to fans and helping her mom with extra balls. Sorana Cirstea commented on Instagram, “My favourite girls❤️❤️❤️.” Jasmine Paolinin wrote, “Bella bellissima 😍.”

The 29-year-old opened up about tennis tour life as a mom before the tournament started. “I choose to bring Bella really to every tournament,” Bencic told Richard Osborn.. “So I spend so much time with her, and I’m really grateful to have people around me that help me to do that, to play and to bring Bella also.”

Bencic, the first Swiss to win the gold medal in women’s singles at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, is grateful to wake up Bella every morning and put her to bed every night while on the road. “For me, it’s a huge privilege to do that and still be able to kind of continue to do my job,” she said.

Bencic also notes she couldn’t make it all work without Hromkovic. “I have an unbelievable husband that is 24/7 with Bella,” she said in 2025, The Post and Courier reported. “I have my mom and my dad and both of my husband’s parents that are helping so much, even when we’re home and I have to go to practice. It takes a village, yeah.”

Belinda Bencic Won Her First Tournament 4 Months After Returning From Maternity Leave

After giving birth to Bella in April 2024, Bencic return to compete six months later. She went from No. 421 to No. 11 after winning titles in Abu Dhabi in February 2025 and Tokyo in October 2025.

Bencic says having a baby helped her become a better player. “I didn’t know how it was going to be before having a baby, but now I would say it’s eased it up for me a little bit, because I can separate my private life and my professional life much more,” she said. “

“I don’t have so much time to think about tennis, and maybe that’s a good thing for me. I’m not overthinking stuff. I’m really just more productive on the practice court. I practice less. I probably put less effort into being a professional tennis player, and somehow it’s working for the better.”

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