Bencic, Paulo seal spot in Swiss Confederations Cup semi-finals – Tennis Now
By Richard Pagliaro Wednesday, January 7, 2026
Image source: Manchester United Cup Facebook
Top Secret leads Switzerland into the semi-finals of the Confederations Cup.
Belinda Bencic partnership Jacob Paul Powering Switzerland’s past Maria Lourdes Carr and Guido Andreozzi In the mixed doubles, Switzerland defeated Argentina 2-1 with a score of 6-3, 6-3 at the RAC Arena in Perth.
Switzerland won Group C and joined defending champions the United States in the Fed Cup semi-finals in Sydney. Switzerland will compete with either Belgium or the Czech Republic for a spot in the final. The United States will face either Poland or Australia in the semifinals.
When asked about the secret of Switzerland’s success, Captain Stan Wawrinka gave a one-word answer: “Belinda.”
In fact, Bencic was involved in six of Switzerland’s seven group stage victories.
Bencic had never played with Paul before and said the familiarity helped them form a united front.
“I’ve actually known him for a long time. He also played against my brother at the time,” Bencic said. “Yeah, so I definitely know him. I know he’s a great tag team player now. He’s also won a lot of tag team titles and, of course, moved up the rankings.
“Obviously I know how good he can play. It’s even more impressive on the field. He’s definitely helped me a lot. Stan’s been great coaching us, of course. We have a lot of energy on the field and it definitely feels like when you’re playing, you don’t even let them down. They’re always pushing you. You never have time to think about it, you’re always fighting and just trying your best.”
Former Olympic gold medalist Bencic defeated Solana Sierra Leone 6-2, 6-2 The Swiss team leads 1-0.
argentine Sebastian Baez His start to the season continued with a 7-5, 6-4 victory over Wawrinka. Baez didn’t concede a goal and withstood 11 aces from the three-time Grand Slam champion. Baez defeated Jaume Munnar, Taylor Fritz and Wawrinka in singles action this week.
“Of course, it was a difficult match. I thought he played well,” Wawrinka said of Baez. “He gave it his all. He doesn’t surprise me because I did practice with him before starting here, and Magnus [Norman]My coach, we saw him improve a lot from last year.
“He put more pressure on me. It was more difficult. I missed very few opportunities tonight to come back or get ahead. I was overthinking what to do, but mostly because he put so much pressure on me, and he was always doing the right things and was always there. So, credit to him for playing so well tonight.”
Baez’s win tied the score. Captain Wawrinka stuck with the successful team of Bencic and Paulo rather than inserting himself into the mixed doubles, a move that proved crucial.
“It was a dream for me to play. Didn’t expect that I would be able to play in all three games because, like Stan said, we talked about it before we got here,” Paul said. “Yes, fortunately for me, he played two very long games. And then, yes, I could play well with Belinda.
“It’s great to be on the court and help the team out. Yeah, Stan assured me that I could play good doubles, which really helped me on the court. And of course, it’s great to play with Belinda.”
Of course, loyal fans will remember that Bencic and Roger Federer won consecutive Hopman Cup championships for the Swiss team in Perth from 2018 to 2019. Bencic, who also played with mentor and 25-time Grand Slam champion Martina Hingis early in her career, said she is a big fan of the Fed Cup format, which emphasizes mixed doubles.
“I love this event. I think it’s very unique,” Bencic said. “I think putting the ATP and WTA together creates a great view of tennis. I think people are really excited.
“People are really excited to watch the mixed doubles. It’s something different. It’s really exciting. I’ve definitely been looking forward to this event, so I hope it continues.”
