Article by Luminița Paul – Published on Wednesday, 27 May 2026, 18:47 / Updated on Wednesday, 27 May 2026 18:47
Belinda Bencic (29 years old, 11th WTA place) qualified for the 3rd round at Roland Garros after a 6-4, 6-0 victory over the American Caty McNally (24 years old, world number 63), then she talked about the difference between today's tennis and the one played when Simona Halep was the WTA leader.
swiss Belinda Bencic she was on court for an hour and a half in the dispute with Caty McNally, who opened the program on Court Simone Mathieu on day four of Roland Garros. The solid, even impressive, performance in the second half of the match took her to the third round in Paris for the third time in her career, after 2019 and 2022.
A former world number 4, she doesn't have as much of an appetite for clay compared to hard and even grass, amassing a hit percentage on the red surface of 62%. In the case of the others it is of 67respectively 69%.
“Clay is not my best surface. I think I can play it well, I just haven't been able to do it here at Roland Garros“, she stated in the press conference after the victory. “For example, on grass, I enter the field and play as it happens in my dream. On clay I have to change a bit“.
Belinda Bencic: “The girls somehow try to play in the male circuit”
Mother of a 2-year-old girl, BELLBelinda is one of the most experienced players on the circuit, even though she is only 29 years old. That's because she caught different generations of opponents and believes that today's tennis is different from what was seen a few seasons ago.
“I think the players are now trying to play with more spin, more weight. You feel, especially with the top ones, that their ball is stronger but also heavier“, she explained. “The girls somehow try to play more like in the men's circuit, more physical. Sure, it's not the same as boys, but that's what I think we're trying to do. And to serve faster“, detailed Bencic.
Bencic is bringing her power game 💪#RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/3d7APtrKqw
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) May 27, 2026
Belinda Bencic: “Now everyone is going on the attack”
And then, how different is today's tennis compared to the period when the leaders were players like Simona Halep or Angelique Kerber?
“I feel like that generation was much more geared towards long shifts, consistency and patience. Simona Halep, Angelique Kerber, Jelena Jankovic, Flavia Pennetta — all building the points, trying to overcome their opponents more tactically than by brute force“, elaborated Belinda.
Simona Halep at Roland Garros 2018, when she won the title Photo: Raed Krishan
“Now you feel like if you leave a shorter ball, you already have to run after the next one, because all the players are coming into the court and trying to be aggressive. There aren't many players anymore who think they can only win defensively. Everyone goes on the attack“, emphasized the Swiss.
“I think that's the biggest difference and that everything has to adapt. I think I've adapted well. I have enough power to compete with these players. But at the end of the day, I think it's all about consistency, discipline in your shot selection and the decisions you make: what shot you choose at that moment, how you serve and how you build your points,” she concluded.
In round 3, she will face another American player, Peyton Stearns (24 years old, 78th place in the world), the one who beat the Ukrainian 6-4, 6-0 Daria Snigur (24 years old, 93rd place WTA). It will be their first meeting.
