Belinda Bencic’s comeback from maternity leave hit a significant milestone on Saturday as she claimed the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open title with a 4-6 6-1 6-1 victory over American Ashlyn Krueger. With this win, the 27-year-old extended her flawless record at the tournament to 9-0, having also won the title in 2023.
Competing as a wildcard, Bencic navigated a challenging draw to lift the WTA 500 trophy. Her path to the title included victories over Rebecca Sramkova, Veronika Kudermetova, Marketa Vondrousova, top seed Elena Rybakina in the semifinals, and finally, Krueger in the championship match. The final lasted 2 hours and 23 minutes, marking her first WTA title since becoming a mother in April 2024.
Bencic, a former world No. 4 and 2021 Olympic gold medalist, has now captured her ninth career WTA singles title.
Since returning to competition in October 2024, Bencic has wasted no time finding her rhythm. She eased back into action through a WTA 125 event, two ITF Challengers, and the Billie Jean King Cup Playoffs before making her official WTA comeback at the United Cup in January.
Her momentum continued at the Australian Open, where she reached the fourth round in her first Grand Slam appearance since the 2023 US Open. Now, following her title run in Abu Dhabi, Bencic holds an…
