WTA: Post Covid-19 infection - Belinda Bencic with abnormal lung diagnosis
The Swiss Belinda Bencic is still suffering from the consequences of her Covid 19 infection from December last year.
by Stefan Bergmann
last edit: Feb 12, 2022, 07:06 pm
In retrospect, some would have liked to have saved themselves the trip to Abu Dhabi last December: At the invitation tournament Mubadala World Tennis Championship in the capital of the United Arab Emirates, Rafael Nadal, Andrey Rublev and Emma Raducanu also had the Swiss Beldinda Bencic with the Corona virus infected.
While the Spanish matador Nadal was able to deliver a more than impressive final at the Australian Open just a month after the infection, Bencic is still suffering from the consequences of the difficult illness. Although the 24-year-old Swiss made at least the quarter-finals in St. Petersburg this week, she is still in the rehabilitation phase.
Two or three months of convalescence
Bencic repeatedly breathed in and out in their matches in the far north of Russia. In the press conference after the round of 16 against Kaja Juvan (Slovenia), she openly addressed her physical problems: "I was diagnosed with something wrong with my lungs. I'm glad I can still play, but it will be take some time to recover - I'm told two or three months."
"I believe that some athletes are currently feeling that their fitness is not at the same level as usual. It's difficult, but I have to work with what I have available." It was clear to Bencic that the beginning of the season would not bring the desired results: "It was the same in Australia. I expected that I wouldn't have the best chance of winning many matches, but I'm doing my best to get back in shape."