Moms Belinda Bencic and Elina Svitolina make WTA ranking history – Tennis Now

By Richard Pagliaro Monday, February 2, 2026
Photo credit: Jon Buckle/Rolex

Mother’s Day has arrived early on the WTA Tour and the women’s tennis world is celebrating.

Belinda Bencic and Elena Svitolina The WTA Tour announced today that history was made today with two mothers entering the top 10 for the first time.

Swiss player Bencic, who won the Fed Cup MVP last month, returned to elite ranking events in mid-January for the first time since leaving the game in September 2023 to give birth to daughter Bella.

“I’m very proud to be back in the top 10 of the WTA after a year back from maternity leave,” Bencic said. “Few people know or experience how difficult this journey is, but my family, my team and I put in all the energy, work and dedication to make this happen.

“They deserve as much credit as anyone and I’m extremely grateful for their support along the way.”

Elina Svitolina beat Coco Gauff in 59 minutes to reach the Australian Open semi-finals, joining Bencic in the top 10.

Ukrainian Svitolina, mother of daughter Skai, made an incredible run into the landmark moment in the AO semi-finals, marking the first time in WTA history that two mothers have finished in the top 10 at the same time.

“It’s my dream to get back into the WTA top 10 and as a mother it means a lot to me,” Svitolina said. “I’m proud of my fight and resilience and I’m very grateful to the fans for their support.”

The WTA announced that “in an effort to create a sporting environment where motherhood and elite performance are not seen as competing options, the WTA has launched several unprecedented motherhood initiatives in recent seasons, with both Bencic and Svitolina taking advantage of special ranking rules for returning mothers.”