Bencic not only carried the flag for her nation at the Tokyo Olympics last month, but also won the gold medal in women’s singles to etch her name in the history books. To put her feat into context, neither Federer nor Wawrinka has a gold medal in singles. They do have a doubles gold though, which they won at the Beijing Olympics.
With Federer and Wawrinka both on the decline and seemingly on the last lap of their career, many believe the onus is now on Bencic to spearhead Swiss tennis. And during her post-match press conference after she beat Arantxa Rus in the first round of the US Open, the Olympic champion was asked if she feels the pressure that comes with those expectations.
Bencic responded in the negative and pointed out that her female compatriots are also making their presence felt on tour, even at the ongoing US Open.
The 24-year-old stressed that she is not hogging all the limelight, but added that she was proud to carry her nation’s flag in the absence of Roger Federer and Stan Wawrinka at the Tokyo Olympics.
Bencic further mentioned how pressure is a “privilege” for her, given that she hails from a country with a rich tennis heritage.
Belinda Bencic then reiterated that she is not the only one carrying Swiss tennis forward. Bencic expressed her desire to see herself, Golubic, Teichmann and Voegele to one day come close to the achievements of Roger Federer and Stan Wawrinka.
I hope Roger Federer will play Rafael Nadal again: Belinda Bencic
Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal have played each other 40 times on tour so far but have never faced off at the US Open, despite having nine Slams combined on American soil.
Given how Federer is on his last legs, it is unlikely he will play another US Open. That means American fans might never get to witness the Swiss taking on Nadal at the Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Belinda Bencic was asked if she felt disappointed that Federer and Nadal could end their careers without ever having played each other at the US Open. She answered in the affirmative, but cautioned that only Federer himself could give an appropriate response to the question.
Bencic further stated that she hopes to see Federer back in action soon, before claiming she is “very positive” that he will return to tennis.
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