London, July 10 EST: No one gets handed a Wimbledon semifinal. You claw, grind, bleed for it. And Belinda Bencic? She’s bleeding joy right now.
Picture it: Centre Court shimmering in that high-noon July glare, the roar of the crowd not yet deafening—but close—and Bencic walks out not just with her racquet and her coach, but with her family. A few hours before she’d break another barrier for mothers in tennis, she posted two words that hit harder than any forehand: “Ready…? Play.”
It wasn’t just a caption. It was a war cry.
The Last Mom Standing
She’s 28. She’s a new mom. And she’s now the last mother left standing at Wimbledon 2025. Not since Serena or Tatjana Maria have we seen this kind of iron-willed, soft-hearted storm blow through SW19. This isn’t a comeback—it’s a damn resurrection.
And she’s not doing it by skimming past low seeds. Bencic had to dig deep, twice into tie-breaks, to fend off Mirra Andreeva, the Russian teenager with ice in her veins and legs like steel cables. According to The Independent, it was one of those Wimbledon knife fights—long rallies, broken serves, sweat and second winds. The kind of match that only ends when someone finally stops blinking.
That someone? Not Belinda.
A Family in Her Corner
Let’s talk about her team—no, her tribe. On one side: Martin Hromkovic, her Slovak-born husband, ex-footballer, now fitness coach, and quite possibly the calmest man in all of London this week. On the other? Their baby daughter Bella, born April 23. Just eleven weeks old, already logging more Centre Court minutes than some wildcards.
And here’s where it gets poetic: Martin and Bella aren’t just cheering from the box. They’re part of Bencic’s pre-match DNA now. They’re her warm-up. Her grounding wire. That photo—of the three of them, arms wrapped, captioned with the umpire’s call—wasn’t marketing. It was a manifesto.
Bencic’s balance, her fire, her focus? That’s not just years of training. That’s family armor.
No Token Run—She’s Gunning for It All
Let’s shut this down now: Bencic isn’t here on a feel-good fluke. This isn’t the WTA’s answer to a Hallmark movie. She’s hitting as clean and as ruthless as she ever has—maybe more. The serve has bite. The backhand is Swiss-clock sharp. And when the rallies stretch, she’s still the last one breathing.
According to Talksport, Bencic broke down in tears earlier this week—overwhelmed, no doubt, but not undone. That’s what makes this run so special. She’s not pretending she’s back to “normal.” She’s redefining what normal even looks like for a player, a mother, a champion.
She’s carrying a baby in one arm and a racquet in the other, and neither is slowing her down.
More Than Just a Match, It’s a Movement
And here’s the kicker: this isn’t just about tennis. It’s about visibility, about showing up and showing out so every young girl watching thinks: “Yeah, I can do both too.”
This is the third time in four years a mother has reached the Wimbledon semis, as Times of India noted, and each time it feels less like a miracle and more like a shift. A long-overdue, racket-swinging shift.
And yet, for all the big-picture implications, there’s something deeply intimate about Bencic’s run. Her success isn’t about reclaiming past glory. It’s about stepping into a new identity and not apologizing for it.
Mother. Athlete. Killer on court. These are not contradictions.
She’s Not Done Yet
Next up, it only gets harder. The pressure mounts. The draw tightens. And the critics—those grumbling about distractions, about whether new moms belong in this fight—are sharpening their tired lines.
Let ’em. Bencic already answered.
“Ready…? Play.”
Game on.
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A former college-level cricketer and lifelong sports enthusiast, Arun Upadhayay brings the heart of an athlete to the sharp eye of a journalist. With firsthand experience in competitive sports and a deep understanding of team dynamics, Arun covers everything from grassroots tournaments to high-stakes international showdowns. His reporting blends field-level grit with analytical precision, making him a trusted voice for sports fans across New Jersey and beyond.
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