TopCourt: How Belinda Bencic became one of the dangerous players on tour

Training with her idol, Martina Hingis, at only six years old, Belinda Bencic was destined for greatness and always ahead of her peers. Developing her game into one of the most unique playing styles on tour, Bencic has worked her way up to a career-high No. 4 ranking, 6 WTA Titles and an Olympic Gold medal.

Now, Bencic joins TopCourt to share the ins and outs of what makes her one of the most dangerous players on tour and how you can implement her tactics and killer inside-out groundstrokes into your game.

Here’s what you can expect from Bencic’s TopCourt class:

Technique: Known for opening up the court with her inside-out shots, Bencic teaches the shots that make her one of the most dangerous players in the world, her open stance forehand and backhand. When deciding which shots to hit open stance on, it’s essential to read the ball, and Bencic also shares a lesson on on-court anticipation.

Drills: Bencic shares two drills that have helped enhance the depth and variety in her game. Her “half volley” drill has helped her gain confidence advancing into the court, where she can close points off at the net. Additionally, her “Figure 8 Drill” teaches movement and changing direction on the court to improve your footwork moving for cross-court and down-the-line shots.

Episodes: Sit down with Bencic in a series of seven “Episodes,” where she shares her life journey within the sport. She begins by sharing how she started training with her idol Martina Hingis when she was only 6  years old. From an early age, she was always a year or two ahead of her peers and was able to develop her game into one of the most unique playing styles in the world.

Playing with freedom and confidence has been the keys to her success, and she shares how you can implement these factors into your game.

Bencic opens up about how unfortunate injuries throughout her career have made her appreciate the game even more, making her return much better. She sets her sights high to stay in the top 10 WTA rankings. Lastly, she shares one of the most memorable moments of her career -- playing tennis with fellow Swiss great Roger Federer at the Hopman Cup.