'Props to the moms': Bencic reaches her first Wimbledon quarterfinal on ninth attempt
Bencic, who had lost in the fourth round on three previous occasions, failed to convert five match points while serving at 5-3 in the second set. But on the sixth one, Alexandrova sent a forehand long on No. 1 Court.
'For you guys it was entertaining,' Bencic said about that marathon game at 5-3, where Alexandrova finally converted her fourth break point to stay in the match. 'For me it was a big stress.'
The 28-year-old Bencic's best result at a Grand Slam was reaching the semifinals at the 2019 U.S. Open, where she also reached the quarters on two other occasions.
The Tokyo Olympic champion, playing at Wimbledon for the ninth time, had not been into the last eight at any of the other three majors, until now.
'I always got stuck in the fourth round (at Wimbledon),' Bencic said in an on-court interview. 'So it was so important for me today to be able to kind of break through to the quarterfinal.'
Bencic missed last year's grass-court Grand Slam tournament while she was on maternity leave, having given birth to her first child — a daughter named Bella — in April 2024.
She said traveling with a child on tour is still relatively easy while Bella is so young, but that she's spending a lot more time taking pictures when she's at tournaments.
'I'm juggling it like every mom does,' Bencic said. 'So, props to the moms.'
Bencic will play the winner between seventh-seeded Mirra Andreeva and No. 10 Emma Navarro, who were playing on Centre Court later. Navarro beat defending champion Barbora Krejcikova in the previous round, ensuring there will be a first-time winner of the women's tournament this year.
Also later, No. 8 Iga Swiatek was playing Clara Tauson and No. 19 Liudmila Samsonova faced Jessica Bouzas Maneiro.
___
AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Times
26 minutes ago
- New York Times
Today's schedule: Men's singles
Follow analysis and reactions from day nine at the 2025 Championships where Carlos Alcaraz and Aryna Sabalenka have advanced to the next round Getty Images Getty Images While in the men's, it's Taylor Fritz (5) up first on No. 1 Court against Karen Khachanov (17), beginning at 1 p.m. ET, 8 a.m. ET. Followed by Brit Cameron Norrie facing second seed, and favorite, Carlos Alcaraz. That is due to start at 2:40 p.m. BST, 9:40 a.m. ET. Getty Images First up, Aryna Sabalenka (1) faces the unseeded Laura Siegemund on Centre Court. That is set to begin at 1:30 p.m. BST, 8:30 a.m. ET. Then American Amanda Anisimova (13) takes on Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova on No. 1 Court, set to start at 2:40 p.m. BST, 9:40 a.m. ET. Great question. So much to catch up on. And if you fancy reliving the action as it happened, play by play, you can do so by clicking here to access The Athletic 's live coverage from the eighth day at SW19. Enjoy! Getty Images If you're a tennis fan — and you love a plethora of other sports — there is no better place to follow all your favourite teams, leagues and players than on The Athletic . From the UK, we've got you covered throughout a jam-packed summer of sport, including the Women's Euros as the Lionesses look to defend their crown in the football, and in the U.S., the latter stages of the Club World Cup are compelling viewing. Plus, the F1 calendar continues, and Open Championship golf is on the way soon too. We have all that covered and much more, so make sure you're fully informed with access to our full experience. And you're in luck — you can subscribe to The Athletic on an exclusive offer right here. The Athletic We'd love to hear from you ahead of today's 2025 Championships action getting underway in a little less than three hours. Who do you think is going to win this year with so many big names out? Who will be the most successful British and American players in the men's and women's singles? Is Wimbledon your favourite Grand Slam of the season, and if so, why? Let us know, by emailing live@ Max Mathews/The Athletic The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club at Church Road, Wimbledon, London. Postcode: SW19, a synecdoche for the tournament itself. The private members' club, established 156 years ago in 1868, has a green and purple color scheme and is one of the most prestigious in the country. How to get in, I hear you ask? You need letters of support from four full members, two of whom must have known you for at least three years. Talk about exclusive! Getty Images In the UK, all of the action will be shown on the BBC. In the U.S., you can watch Wimbledon on ESPN and ESPN2, with select matches on ABC. Streaming: Fubo (try for free) Getty Images As ever, the first matches are set to get underway at 11 a.m. BST, local time in the UK, which is 6 a.m. ET and 3 a.m. PT on the east and west coast of the United States, respectively. Max Mathews/The Athletic Hello everyone and welcome along to south-west London for the ninth day of the 2025 Wimbledon Championships. Today, the men's and women's singles quarterfinals begin, firmly into the second week of action of the fortnight. Plenty at stake, and plenty of big stars in action here at SW19. So why would you want to be anywhere else? Settle down with The Athletic and let us take you through the day.
Yahoo
27 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Wimbledon defends prize pot as players push for bigger share of profits
The winners of the men's and women's singles titles at the All England Club will each receive £3 million (GLYN KIRK) Wimbledon tournament director Jamie Baker has defended the tournament's prize money pot, pointing to inflation-busting increases as players demand a bigger slice of Grand Slam profits. The winners of the men's and women's singles titles at the All England Club will each receive £3 million ($4 million), an increase of more than 11 per cent on 2024, while a main draw spot is worth a minimum of £66,000, up 10 percent. Advertisement There have been growing calls from players for a bigger share of revenue from the four majors -- the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open. In April, leading players from the men's and women's tours reportedly sent a letter to the heads of the Grand Slams asking for a greater share of revenues. A meeting was held on the issue during the French Open. Baker, a former professional player, said Friday that decisions on prize money over the past 20 years showed that Wimbledon has the players' best interests at heart. "It's meant that over a long period of time, players are earning more, this organisation is doing better, demand to come and experience Wimbledon here in person or watch it around the world has grown as a result of this partnership," he said. Advertisement "So our position on that is never going to change in that the decisions we make are always looking to help the players to make more money. "That's why if you look at the increases over that period they're always significantly higher than what you would look (with) regular inflation." Baker said he was relaxed over player demands for more money. "I'd be worried if people weren't asking to be paid more," he added. "Who around this table doesn't want to be paid more? It's kind of part of life." jw/smg
Yahoo
28 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Rory McIlroy Is Barely Recognizable With New Haircut
Rory McIlroy Is Barely Recognizable With New Haircut originally appeared on The Spun. Rory McIlroy has been known for his black, curly haircut since he first came onto the professional golf scene more than 10 years ago. Advertisement The 36-year-old PGA Tour star from Northern Ireland is sporting a new look, though. McIlroy, who won The Masters earlier this year, is gearing up for The Open Championship, which is set for next Thursday, July 17. Six years ago, McIlroy failed to make the cut at the Open Championship at Royal Portrush in his native Northern Ireland. 'I wanted to be here for the weekend. Selfishly I wanted to feel that support for two more days. But today was probably one of the most fun rounds of golf I've ever played," he said of his failed attempt. 'It's strange saying that standing here and having had a bit of success and won this championship before, and just to be battling to make the cut. To play in front of those crowds today and to feel that momentum and really dig in, it's going to be a tough one to get over." In 2025, McIlroy will be looking to win his second Open Championship - he first won in 2014. And he'll be sporting a new look while doing so. Jun 12, 2025; Oakmont, Pennsylvania, USA; Rory McIlroy walks off the first tee during the first round of the U.S. Open golf tournament. McIlroy is rocking a buzzcut heading into the first round of The Open Championship later this month. Advertisement He's barely recognizable at first. "Haircut Rory looks like Jeremy Strong," one fan wrote. It's a sleek look for McIlroy, who has been graying a lot more in recent years (join the club, Rory). Perhaps his sleeker look will lead to cooler play over the course of the four rounds at The Open Championship later this month. The first round of the final major tournament of the year is scheduled to begin on Thursday, July 17. Hopefully, it'll be a fun one. Rory McIlroy Is Barely Recognizable With New Haircut first appeared on The Spun on Jul 9, 2025 This story was originally reported by The Spun on Jul 9, 2025, where it first appeared.
