Belinda Bencic becomes first mom in the Top 10 since Serena Williams in 2021

Belinda Bencic was on fire at the United Cup last week, leading Team Switzerland to the final of the team event, where they ultimately finished runner-up to Team Poland.

Not only did her heroics earn her the MVP award for the tournament, but by going an undefeated 5-0 across five ties, she earned 500 ranking points—and with that she makes her return to the Top 10 on the WTA rankings today, moving up one very significant spot from No. 11 to No. 10.

She becomes the first mom to be ranked in the Top 10 in almost four-and-a-half years, since Serena Williams spent her last two weeks in the elite in 2021, during the two weeks of Wimbledon between June 28th and July 15th.

Bencic’s return to the Top 10 on the WTA rankings has been a long journey, but it hasn’t actually taken that long.

After giving birth to her daughter Bella in April of 2024, the former No. 4 returned to the tour unranked in October of that year, and after her first few tournaments back she finished at No. 913 on the year-end rankings.

In 2025, she shot back up the rankings like a rocket—she returned to the Top 100 in February after winning her first title back in Abu Dhabi, the Top 50 in March after reaching the quarterfinals of Indian Wells and the Top 20 in July after reaching the semifinals of Wimbledon. She then finished the year at No. 11 after winning her second title back in Tokyo.

That 902-spot rise between No. 913 and No. 11 was actually the biggest jump between the 2024 and 2025 year-end rankings among the Top 20, Top 50 and the Top 100.

Now, just 14 months into her comeback, she’s already in the Top 10 again, and it’s entirely fitting, as two of her five wins at United Cup came against Top 10 players—No. 8 Jasmine Paolini in the group stage and No. 2 Iga Swiatek in the final.

Bencic isn’t the only player to reach her highest ranking as a mom today, as Elina Svitolina—who gave birth to daughter Skai in 2022 and returned to action in 2023—moves up from No. 13 to No. 12, the highest ranking of her comeback. She just won the title in Auckland this past week.

Other notable moves on the WTA rankings this week come from another Ukrainian, Marta Kostyuk, who makes her Top 20 return, rising from No. 26 to No. 20 after reaching the final in Brisbane, and American teenager Iva Jovic, who rises from No. 35 to No. 30 for her Top 30 debut after reaching the semifinals in Auckland (where she fell to Svitolina).