Mumbai, Jan. 21 -- Belinda Bencic never set herself a timeline to get back onto the tour. In September 2023, she went on a maternity break and her daughter, Bella, was born in April 2024. But by October, as an unranked player, she was back playing professional tennis. And she's been racing up the ranking ladder ever since. On Tuesday, as the 28-year-old faced Katie Boulter in their first round Australian Open match, Bencic did so as the first 'supermom' since Serena Williams to break into the top 10 - less than two years since becoming a mother. "We are just living in Belinda's world," was the mantra the Swiss team adopted, according to their captain Stan Wawrinka, as the squad finished as runner-up in the United Cup last week. "Super happy to be in the top 10 now," Bencic said in a press conference after the final. "It's been a huge goal, maybe a huge ride after the whole comeback, to come back and prove this to myself, that it's possible." Bencic was awarded the Most Valuable Player title as she won six singles matches at the United Cup - including triumphs over world No.2 Iga Swiatek and world No.8 Jasmine Paolini. She continued in that same vein of form as she dispatched Boulter 6-0, 7-5 in the Margaret Court Arena on Tuesday. The former world No.4 follows a growing list of high-profile singles players to have forged successful returns from maternity leave. Kim Clijsters was among the first in this century, having won three Grand Slams after giving birth in 2008. In recent years, the likes of Williams, Victoria Azarenka, Elina Svitolina and Naomi Osaka have all made strong returns. Bencic has followed suit. She was unranked when she played the W75 in Hamburg in November 2024. She started 2025 as the world No.487 and then won WTA 500 titles in Dubai and Tokyo. Sandwiched in between those wins was the solid run to the Wimbledon semi-final - her second semi-final appearance at a Grand Slam after reaching that stage at the 2019 US Open. "I am surprised at the level that I played," Bencic had said to the WTA in December. "It's been a crazy lot of work, and obviously it hasn't been easy at all to come back. It's been really tough on the body and really tough mentally, also logistically. It's something I'm really proud of." The performances last year earned her the WTA Comeback Player of the Year Award for 2025. And the Tokyo Olympics gold medallist has only gone and improved further during the off-season. "I think I've improved in my movement and my serve has become more steady and better," Bencic said in the post-match press conference on Tuesday. "My net game as well (has improved). I can see it in practice, but I try to incorporate that in matches. I'm very good at taking the swing-volleys, but the regular volleys have gotten better." All those strokes combined on her second match point attempt against Boulter. Bencic hit a well-placed flat serve down the T that Boulter just about got back into play. Coming up to the net, the Swiss played a heavy inside-out forehand that the Brit lobbed back, only for Bencic to swing-volley the winner. The win took her to 11-1 for this season, including the singles and mixed doubles matches she played in the United Cup. She's been in fine form on court, but since her daughter was born though, she explained, Bencic has found herself a bit more engaged in off-court activities. "We're going to the zoo, we're going to the aquarium.," she listed, in her on-court interview. "Maybe I'm enjoying more off the court. And I'm separating tennis a little bit more. "(Breaking into the top 10 again) means a lot. I don't think we've realised it yet because we're in between tournaments, and you don't want to think about it too much. I really hope it doesn't end here. I hope I can keep climbing up the rankings." For a player who kept no expectations on when she wanted to get back on court, there is a lot happening in Belinda's world....