Belinda Bencic found herself locked in a closely contested battle with Taylor Townsend in the third round of the Canadian Open, narrowly avoiding an upset at the hands of the American.
Bencic’s emotions came to the fore during the tense contest as she voiced her frustrations toward her coaching team in her player’s box, which included her husband and fitness coach, Martin Hromkovič.
Belinda Bencic Survives a Scare Against Taylor Townsend in Toronto
No. 12 seed Bencic made a strong start to her campaign at the WTA 1000 event in Toronto by securing a dominant 6-3, 6-1 win over Sloane Stephens in her opening match, following a first-round bye.
The 29-year-old faced a much tougher test in her third-round showdown with Taylor Townsend. Although Bencic fended off three set points in the opening set, Townsend edged her out in the tiebreak. Nevertheless, the Swiss fought back to clinch the second-set tiebreak and force a decider.
Despite winning the set, Bencic appeared unimpressed with her coaching team’s demeanor in her player’s box, lashing out in an animated outburst during the changeover.
“Can you man up and be loud? You! Yes,” she said. “Shut up.”
Belinda Bencic to her team after winning the 2nd set against Taylor Townsend in Toronto
😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/WeVACZVbWP
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) August 8, 2026
However, Bencic regained her composure when she took the court for the third set and eventually sealed a 6-7(5), 7-6(4), 6-4 victory after a grueling three-hour, 26-minute marathon.
On a personal level, Bencic not only has her husband by her side in Toronto but also their two-year-old daughter, Bella. During a press conference after her second-round win, the 29-year-old credited the Canadian Open for making their stay more convenient while traveling with a toddler.
“She’s here with us, and the tournament is very nice. They said that they would provide an extra room paid for the moms that are traveling with the kids, so you have a bit more space for your team and all your luggage and everything. It’s really nice from the tournament,” Bencic said.
“I, in general, think the tournaments are getting so much better at helping with this and that. Sometimes they have like a kids’ corner or like some toys or some area to play,” she added.
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Up next, Belinda Bencic will square off against No. 25 seed Alexandra Eala in the fourth round of the Canadian Open. The winner of their highly anticipated encounter is set to face either No. 4 seed Coco Gauff or qualifier Alina Korneeva in the quarterfinals of the WTA 1000 event.
