Bencic shrugs off pressure ahead of her title defence at DDF Tennis C’ships

Amir Naqvi, Sports Editor

Defending champions Belinda Bencic ruled out any pressure as she begins her Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships title defence against Aryna Sabalenka.

“No pressure, not at all,” said the World No.5 while talking to the media on Sunday.

“I don’t really get why all of the people think that achieving the same feat twice adds to the extra pressure. For me, it’s not,” said the Swiss.

Swiss pair Roger Federer and Bencic achieved a remarkable double last year when they became the two players from the same country to win the titles, after Fabrice Santoro and Amelie Mauresmo did it in 2002.

No one expected Bencic to emerge winner from such a star-studded field to become the champion – least of all herself.

Although formally a-top-10-player, she had not won a tournament since June 2015 after suffering a number of injuries, one of which took her out of the game for five months.

Her ranking fell as low as 318 before she embarked on rebuilding her career. However, she rebounded quickly and rose back into the top 50 within a year of her comeback.

Her victory in Dubai last year proved to be a springboard as she went on to reach the final in Mallorca, reach the semi-finals of a Grand Slam for the first time in her career at the US Open where she beat world number one and defending champion Naomi Osaka, and win a second title of the year in Moscow.

Following her US Open run, she re-entered the top 10 after a gap of four years and four months.

“It’s a privilege. I won here last year, so I can only play great again here. That’s how I see it. I think it’s all about the mentality,” Bencic said.

Bencic also played down targeting the top spot in the WTA rankings.

“No, I’m not thinking about the No.1 spot because I’m very far from it. I’m focusing on what’s happening on the court. That’s my only focus really,” she said.

“I’m going to the court, trying to do the best I can in every practice I attend, every match I play. The rankings are something that’s very spectacular for the media to put pressure on players.

“For me, it’s really just a reward for your tennis on the court. It’s not something I have to focus about,” Bencic added.

Bencic stopped working with her father Ivan as her coach for two years but they reunited at the end of 2018 and the decision is obviously paying off. The 22-year-old has a tight-knit team and mostly just travels with her dad and her fitness trainer Martin Hromkovic.

Sabalenka’s tough 2019 season ended on a high note when she successfully defended her Wuhan title and finished the season by winning the WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai, defeating Kiki Bertens in the final.

The Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, which is owned and organised by Dubai Duty Free and held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, begins with the 20th Anniversary celebrations of the WTA event which runs from Feb.17 to Feb.22 and features reigning Grand Slam champions Sofia Kenin and Simona Halep.

The event then continues between Feb.24 to Feb.29 with the ATP tournament, which stars reigning Australian Open and Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic, eight-time Dubai champion Roger Federer, 2019 ATP Finals winner Stefanos Tsitsipas and 2018 Dubai champion Roberto Bautista Agut.