Belinda Bencic has added a new incentive to her service practice: every ace now fuels a cause. In March the Swiss announced a partnership with Purina Switzerland to promote the Pro Plan line, and as part of that deal Purina will donate 1,000 meals to animals in need for every ace she hits.

The initiative recently expanded at a Billie Jean King Cup Finals qualifier to include her teammates, and Bencic discussed the collaboration after winning her opening match at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia on Thursday.

“I’m very motivated to hit aces. I think it’s just a great project together, with a partnership that I really believe in,” Bencic told Tennis Channel’s Prakash Amritraj. “I love dogs, I love cats. I would love to have an animal shelter once I stop playing.

“I’m super proud and I’m practicing my serve a lot to do ace! It’s more tough here but in Madrid, I did quite well.”

The No. 12 seed opened her Rome campaign by defeating Bianca Andreescu 6-4, 6-1, a follow-up to a fourth-round showing at the Mutua Madrid Open. Bencic has also balanced tournament life with family responsibilities; her two-year-old daughter Bella is not at this event and is staying with her grandparents.

“I miss her so much, but I’m getting like hundreds of videos per day. I miss her but it’s also nice to go out to restaurants, sleep in, and have a lot of time,” she laughed.

The partnership gives Bencic an added reason to focus on a traditionally high-payoff shot. By tying aces to meals for animals, the agreement with Purina Switzerland has become a tangible motivator on court and an opportunity to involve teammates and supporters off court. Photo: © 2026 Robert Prange

The United States will not compete for a place at the Billie Jean King Cup Finals after a 3-1 defeat to Belgium in Ostend. Belgium’s captain Wim Fissette watched Greet Minnen secure the tie with a straight-sets victory over Iva Jovic, completing the deciding match on Sunday.

Making her event debut, 18-year-old Iva Jovic lost twice for her nation. She was beaten by Hanne Vandewinkel, 7-6 (3), 6-3 on Friday and then fell 7-5, 6-3 to Minnen when Belgium closed out the tie.

The U.S. fell into an early deficit when McCartney Kessler was forced to retire at 3-3 against Elise Mertens because of a back injury. That retirement handed Belgium a 2-0 lead before the Americans responded on Saturday, when Caty McNally and Nicole Melichar-Martinez each won to put the team on the scoreboard.

U.S. captain Lindsay Davenport reflected on the tie afterwards. “We tried really hard all week to find our groove and to figure out how we were gonna play, how we’re gonna get three points.But Belgium played so well. They had a great crowd here,” she said.

“We just never quite got to playing our best. We got a little bit of, obviously, bad luck with McCartney. She was playing great. We felt like she had really seized momentum in that match when things started to go the other way. But we’ll keep working. It’s a process for sure.”

Italy led the other successful nations in qualifying, and September’s Billie Jean King Cup Finals will once again be staged in Shenzhen. The U.S., a record 18-time champion, will not be among the teams contesting the Finals this year.

Zeynep Sonmez has announced the end of her sponsorship with Turkish Airlines. The Turkiye No. 1 singles player posted on social media Friday that negotiations over the 2026 season had concluded without a renewal.

“Following sponsorship discussions regarding the 2026 season, the sponsorship relationship with Turkish Airlines will not continue,” Sonmez wrote.

She added a statement of thanks linking her work with the carrier to the opening events of 2026. “I was honored to represent Turkey’s national flag carrier, Turkish Airlines, at the opening tournaments of 2026, including the Australian Open Grand Slam, the Mubadala Abu Dhabi and the Qatar Open event. I carried this responsibility with the same seriousness and respect at all times, both on and off the court.

“I would like to sincerely thank Turkish Airlines for the trust they placed in me and for their support throughout our journey together. I also extend my gratitude to all Turkish Airlines employees, both in the air and on the ground, for their professionalism and continued support.”

The decision has attracted attention coming after Sonmez’s breakthrough results in 2025. The 23-year-old became the first player representing Turkiye to reach the third round of a Grand Slam at Wimbledon in 2025, a milestone she matched at this year’s Australian Open as a qualifier. She was also instrumental in Turkiye’s upset win over Germany in its first-ever Billie Jean King Cup Play-offs appearance.

Sonmez entered the Top 70 last year, reaching a career-high No. 69 in October 2025. At present, no other Turkish player — male or female — is ranked inside the Top 300 of the WTA or ATP listings.

The announcement follows Turkish Airlines’ unveiling of Zheng Qinwen as a global brand ambassador on Feb. 7. The airline, which says it flies to more countries than any other, described the move as part of a strategy to expand in the Asia-Pacific region. Turkish Airlines Chief Commercial Officer Ahmet Olmuştur stated : “As we continue to strengthen our presence across the Asia-Pacific region, this partnership reflects our commitment to connecting the region with the world while supporting excellence in sport and cultural exchange.”

The draft also notes Zheng’s commercial profile and recent return from elbow surgery, and the wider trend of major carriers naming high-profile tennis ambassadors in 2026.