Elina Svitolina and Belinda Bencic recently became the first mothers to be simultaneously ranked in the world’s top 10 of the WTA rankings. Currently, Bencic is ranked World No. 9, while Svitolina is ranked World No. 10, and this milestone sparked a reaction from Danielle Collins.
Svitolina married French tennis player Gaël Monfils in July 2021, and the couple welcomed their first child, a daughter named Skaï, in October 2022. On the other hand, Bencic, who is married to her fitness trainer, Martin Hromkovic, gave birth to their daughter, Bella, in April 2024.
Danielle Collins Reacts to Elina Svitolina and Belinda Bencic Being Inside Top-10 WTA Rankings
Svitolina has had a remarkable start to the 2026 season, winning the ASB Classic and reaching the semifinals at the Australian Open, which helped her to rise two places in the WTA rankings to become World No. 10.
Meanwhile, Bencic, after returning from an 11-month maternity leave, has performed well on the Tour, including winning titles at the 2025 Abu Dhabi Open and the Toray Pan Pacific Open, and advancing to the semifinals at Wimbledon. This success has allowed her to move up to World No. 9.
Collins reacted to Svitolina and Bencic being simultaneously ranked in the world’s top 10 in the WTA rankings, describing the milestone as “pretty amazing.”
“Pretty amazing ☺️ 💪 💪,” Collins captioned her Instagram story.
Svitolina achieved her highest career singles ranking of World No. 3 in September 2017, while Bencic’s highest singles ranking, World No. 4, was achieved in February 2020.
Where Will Svitolina and Bencic Compete Next?
Looking ahead, Svitolina and Bencic will next compete in the Middle East swing. Svitolina will kick off her campaign at the Qatar Open, while Bencic will first participate in the Abu Dhabi Open.
The Qatar Open is set to take place from February 8 to February 14, 2026, at the International Tennis and Squash Complex in Doha, Qatar. In addition to Svitolina, players like Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Świątek, Elena Rybakina, Amanda Anisimova, Coco Gauff, Mirra Andreeva, Jasmine Paolini, and Victoria Mboko, among others, are also expected to compete in this WTA 1000 hard-court tournament.
Meanwhile, Bencic will begin her Middle East swing at the 2026 Abu Dhabi Open, where she is the defending champion. She won the title in 2025 by defeating Ashlyn Krueger in the final, claiming her second title in Abu Dhabi, her ninth career WTA Tour title, and her first title after returning from maternity leave.
This year, Bencic is the top seed at the WTA 500 hard-court tournament and will begin her campaign in the second round after receiving a first-round bye. She is set to face qualifier Sonay Kartal in her opening match.
Kartal earned her spot in the main draw of the Abu Dhabi Open by winning against Yuliia Starodubtseva and Aliaksandra Sasnovich in the first and second qualifying rounds, respectively. She then eliminated Cristina Bucșa in the first round of the main draw.
Bencic and Kartal have never faced each other on the WTA Tour before, making their upcoming second-round match at the WTA 500 tournament the first encounter between these two players.
The winner of the second-round match between Bencic and Kartal at the 2026 Abu Dhabi Open will advance to face either seventh seed Jeļena Ostapenko or qualifier Sára Bejlek in the quarterfinals of the tournament.
