Bencic and Hromkovic in baby happiness: their great love is also a success story

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Already during Wimbledon 2018, rumors started circulating on the tennis tour that there could be more than just a professional relationship between Belinda Bencic (26) and her fitness coach Martin Hromkovic (41). And in fact, the Eastern Swiss woman let the cat out of the bag six months later. ‘Yes, we are a couple. “It was a bit unexpected, but it’s an ideal situation,” the then 21-year-old revealed with a smile.

Now, almost five years later, Bencic and Hromkovic are taking the next big step in their relationship. The first child together is waiting. The two posted a photo of themselves holding adorable baby shoes into the camera on Friday morning. The offspring should be there “in the late spring of 2024”, their manager Marijn Bal reveals. Bencic then plans to make her comeback as soon as she feels physically able.

He ended his football career for them

Bencic and Hromkovic share a love of sports. The fit man of 1.92 meters was active as a semi-professional football player. First in the second Slovak league, then towards the end of his career in the lower leagues of Austria. In 2018, he finally ended his career for Bencic and his job at the Empire Tennis Academy in Trnava. The Slovak now has a master’s degree as a fitness instructor.

With Hromkovic by her side, Bencic quickly put the injury-related fall to world ranking position 165 (from 2017) behind her. The Eastern Swiss woman with Slovak roots returned to the top 10 and has since consistently ranked among the world top (currently WTA 14). In 2021, she celebrated the Olympic victory in singles and the silver medal in doubles in Tokyo.

In Tokyo at the time, Bencic said: “Martin’s contribution to my success is enormous. He is also an athlete, he has the same mentality. He understands how I feel in difficult moments. He can completely empathize with me.” The couple found a way to separate professional and private lives. Bratislava is their shared sanctuary.

Hromkovic initially saw a lot of potential in the talented tennis player: “When we met, her movements were a bit clumsy,” he noted. After cardio and strength tests, he worked on a sleep, nutrition and training program specifically tailored to her. Sweet temptations such as cheesecake were available ‘only occasionally’. Bencic lost weight and gained vitality at the same time. In Tokyo she said she would train so hard that the competitions would feel “almost like relaxation”.

“I’m very proud of her”

“It helps that he’s such a tough guy,” Bencic, who can be impulsive on the field, said of her partner. He pushes her out of her comfort zone with his authority. The couple relies on a mix of trust and respect. Successfully. “I’m very happy that she trusts me – and I’m very proud of her,” says Hromkovic.

Still, questions remain in the Bencic camp when it comes to the head coach. Who has a place on the team? Who actually fits in? With partner Hromkovic and father Ivan, who was also her trainer for a long time, Bencic already has two people with strong opinions in his immediate environment. The initially promising attempt with the Russian Dimitri Tursunow (40), who was considered very direct, suddenly failed in the spring.

Bencic has often changed coaches in recent years. So the man who would be responsible for the tennis input. She is currently being cared for by Slovakian Matej Liptak (46). However, it is difficult to judge whether the partnership will be fruitful, especially since Bencic was injured for most of the season.

One thing is certain: Hromkovic remains a constant. Because for Bencic it is clear: “He feels me much better than anyone else.”

Source : Blick