Bencic ready for 'biggest thing in sport'
World No. 12 Belinda Bencic is excited to make her Olympic debut at Tokyo 2020 and, as a patriotic Swiss, she is hoping she can finish with a medal round her neck.
The 24-year-old missed out on a trip to the Rio Olympic Games in 2016 due to injury, but is ready to make amends in Tokyo this time round.
“It’s a dream coming true, really,” explained Bencic. “First time at the Olympics, it will be special. It’s always been my dream. I think for every athlete to be able to say ‘I competed at the Olympics’, it’s the biggest thing ever in sport.
Bencic has been a regular in the red shirt of her nation. She has competed in Billie Jean King Cup since 2012 and before that she played in junior team competitions. She also paired up with Roger Federer to win Hopman Cup in 2019.
“I’m really patriotic,” she added. “I love this kind of atmosphere, it feels like you’re not only playing for yourself but for your nation and, for me, that’s just really nice, and I would love to make Switzerland proud and maybe do great in the Olympics.”
The Tokyo 2020 Olympic Tennis Event starts on Friday 24 July, with the medal matches scheduled to take place on 30 July-1 August.