Belinda Bencic
A Swiss tennis prodigy with preternatural court craft, who battled injuries to claim Olympic gold and a place at the sport's pinnacle.
Born 1997 (age 29)·Swiss tennis player·Birthday: March 10·Generation Z
Biography
Touted as the 'next Martina Hingis' from her early teens, Belinda Bencic carried the weight of Swiss expectation with a cool, tactical brilliance. Coached by Hingis's mother, Melanie Molitor, her game was built not on overwhelming power but on intelligent anticipation, clean ball-striking, and a knack for constructing points. She broke through as a teenager, stunning the tennis world by winning the Rogers Cup in 2015 with victories over multiple top-five players. Just as her rise seemed meteoric, a series of wrist and back surgeries stalled her progress, forcing her to rebuild her ranking from outside the top 300. Her resilience defined her second act. She returned stronger, winning the Dubai title and, in a crowning moment, capturing the Olympic singles gold medal in Tokyo, a victory of precision and nerve that fulfilled her long-promised potential.
Generation Z
1997–2012
Born into smartphones, social media, and school shootings. The most diverse generation in history. Pragmatic about money, fluid about identity, anxious about the climate. They do not remember a world before the internet.
Belinda was born in 1997, placing them squarely in the Generation Z. The events that shaped this generation — social media, climate anxiety, and a pandemic — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Belinda Was Born
The biggest hits of 1997
#1 Movie
Titanic
Best Picture
Titanic
#1 TV Show
ER
Belinda's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1997Born
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2002Started school
Euro currency enters circulation
Gas: $1.36/galHome: $137,800Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"How You Remind Me" — NickelbackBest Picture: Chicago
2010Became a teenager
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2013Could drive
Edward Snowden reveals NSA surveillance programs
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $152,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Thrift Shop" — Macklemore & Ryan LewisBest Picture: 12 Years a Slave
2015Could vote
Paris climate agreement; same-sex marriage legalized in the US
Gas: $2.43/galHome: $171,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Uptown Funk" — Mark Ronson ft. Bruno MarsBest Picture: Spotlight
2018Turned 21
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
2026Age 29 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won the Olympic gold medal in women's singles at the 2020 Tokyo Games, defeating Markéta Vondroušová in the final.
- Claimed the WTA Tour Championships doubles title in 2019 partnering with Hsieh Su-wei.
- Won the prestigious Canadian Open (Rogers Cup) in 2015 as an 18-year-old, beating four top-ten players including Serena Williams.
- Achieved a career-high singles ranking of world No. 4 in February 2020.
Did You Know?
Her father, Ivan Bencic, was a professional Slovak hockey player who moved the family to Switzerland.
She was coached in her formative years by Melanie Molitor, the mother and former coach of Martina Hingis.
Bencic is fluent in Slovak, German, English, and French.
She won the junior girls' singles title at Wimbledon and the French Open in 2013.
“I always believed I could come back. I never lost the belief in my game.”
