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Numerous players feel a certain envy towards Belinda Bencic. The Swiss tennis player had the chance to play numerous mixed doubles matches with the famous compatriot Roger Federer at the Hopman Cup. During an interview with the Swiss newspaper Blick, Bencic was asked to analyze a possible mixed doubles with the 20-time Slam champion at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.
"Hope so! (laughs) If everything goes according to plan, I would be extremely happy,” said Bencic. With the tour put on halt amid the coronavirus pandemic, Bencic is not optimistic regarding the tour kick-starting anytime soon.
“It is very difficult to say. If it goes according to plan, the first tournaments would start in America in August. But the situation there is far from ideal. The WTA plans to announce further decisions in July. But to be honest, I don’t expect a tour soon,” she added.
In 2020, the world's number 8 reached the third round at the Australian Open, while it failed to defend the title won in Dubai in 2019 by surrendering to the first round at Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. The redemption came about a week later, thanks to the quarterfinals centered in Qatar.
As for Federer, the former World number 1 has confided that he has not yet resumed training after the knee operation he underwent in February. The 38-year-old from Basel has only played in the Australian Open this year, arriving almost miraculously in the semifinal after risking a lot with John Millman and Tennys Sandgren.
A groin injury prevented Roger from playing his cards to the full against Novak Djokovic, who won three sets at the Rod Laver Arena. The Maestro had to cash in on the cancellation of Wimbledon and the postponement of the Olympics until next year.