Bencic better be calm, Philippines crowd will be loud

MANILA, Philippines — It’s Alex Eala versus Belinda Bencic in the Round of 16 of the National Bank Open in Toronto today – and the WTA 14th ranked Swiss is walking into two battles.

It’s Bencic against Eala at Center Court of Sobeys Stadium. On the side, the fiery 2021 Tokyo Olympics gold medalist crosses swords with the animated Philippine crowd.

For the Filipina ace attracts an army wherever she goes – heavy in Toronto – waving flags, chanting loudly, the staid tradition of silence during serves and rallies breached, broken and strained.

And Bencic, for all her pedigree, has always been a highly competitive temperament on court. She’s an intense perfectionist who wears her heart on her sleeve, lets out animated outbursts, stares down her box when things don’t go to plan.

But she said motherhood has mellowed her.

Bencic gave birth to daughter Bella in 2024, then worked her way back to the Top 15 with a semifinal finish at Wimbledon.

In interviews with Tennis Insider Club and Tennis.com, she admitted tennis used to be her entire world, crushing herself with pressure.

“Now it’s just not the most important thing. My priority is my family,” she said.

Before, she would lock herself in a hotel room to agonize over a loss. After a heavy defeat in her comeback, she just brushed it off and spent the day at the beach with Bella. “Tennis is no longer life and death to me,” she said.

She better be. Because Monday, she’ll be on Center Court surrounded by Eala fans – loud, relentless, ready to answer every cuss and every glare.