Belinda Bencic has officially pulled out of the French Open due to an arm injury, marking the loss of a highly anticipated first-round match against 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina. The world No. 39 shared in a statement that she re-injured her arm just two days prior during morning practice, an injury that had previously caused her to retire in Rome. Bencic had recently faced a setback in her Italian Open match against Maria Sakkari, where she lost the first set 6-2 before withdrawing.
Since returning to the WTA Tour in October 2024 after welcoming her first child, Bella, in April, Bencic has shown promising form. She strategically began her comeback by competing in lower-tier events, which eventually led to her victory at the Abu Dhabi Open in February. Throughout her journey, she has faced and triumphed over Grand Slam champions like Jelena Ostapenko and Naomi Osaka early this year but fell short against Coco Gauff in the Australian Open before avenging that defeat later at Indian Wells.
As for Rybakina, she will now face Argentina’s Julia Riera in the opening round of the tournament. Bencic expressed her hopes that a two-week period of rest will enable her to recover and rejoin the competition in time for the grass season.
There remains optimism for Bencic’s swift recovery, allowing her to return to competitive play and continue building on her comeback. Her journey serves as an inspiring example of resilience in the face of challenges, and many tennis fans look forward to her return to the court.