Belinda Bencic and Elina Svitolina have become the first mothers to be ranked inside the WTA Tour's top 10 simultaneously. The milestone follows the latest rankings release on Monday, after Svitolina's strong performance at the Australian Open. The WTA praised the achievement as a significant moment for women's sports.
The WTA Tour released its latest rankings on Monday, marking a historic moment as Switzerland's Belinda Bencic and Ukraine's Elina Svitolina entered the top 10 as mothers for the first time at the same time. Bencic, ranked ninth, returned to the elite group in January, her first appearance since stepping away in September 2023 to give birth to daughter Bella. She utilized the WTA's Special Ranking Rule for returning mothers to reclaim her spot.
Svitolina, now tenth, joined her after reaching the semi-finals at the Australian Open last week. She is the mother of Skai. Both players benefited from the WTA's Family Focus Program, launched last year, which offers ranking protection during pregnancy, postpartum support, and paid maternity leave.
WTA chief executive Portia Archer celebrated the development, stating: "Two mothers ranked inside the WTA's Top 10 rankings for the first time is an incredible moment for tennis and for women's sport. Not only does this highlight the exceptional achievements of Belinda and Elina, it reaffirms the WTA's commitment to creating an environment where mothers can continue to compete and succeed, at the very highest level of sport -- or any profession."
Bencic expressed her pride: "Coming back to the WTA Top 10 one year after returning to competition after maternity leave is something I am incredibly proud of. Very few people know or have experienced how difficult that journey is, but my family, my team and I have put all of our energy, work and dedication into it to accomplish this goal."
Svitolina added: "It's a dream to return to the WTA Top 10. Doing it as a mother means so much to me. I'm proud of my fight and resilience."
The top rankings remained stable with Aryna Sabalenka at number one and Iga Swiatek at two. Elena Rybakina rose two places to third after winning the Australian Open, followed by Amanda Anisimova, Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula, Mirra Andreeva, and Jasmine Paolini in positions four through eight.
