Belgian tennis sensation Hanne Vandewinkel delivered a powerhouse performance on April 10, 2026, putting her country in a commanding position in the Billie Jean King Cup. The 21-year-old star secured a dominant straight-sets victory over world number 16 Iva Jovic of the United States, giving Belgium a 1-0 lead in the tie.
The victory served as a crowning moment for Vandewinkel, who has seen a meteoric rise on the international circuit over the last few months. The Limburg native recently broke into the WTA top 100 for the first time, following a string of successes including her first WTA 125 title in Tampico, Mexico, in October and two ITF tournament wins in Pune, and Bangalore.
Adding to the excitement of the weekend was a surprise motivational boost from one of the biggest names in Belgian sports. Wout van Aert, the cycling superstar and personal idol of Vandewinkel, sent the tennis player a personalized video message ahead of her clash with Jovic. The gesture was coordinated by teammate Kirsten Flipkens, who arranged the clip while van Aert was on a training ride preparing for Paris-Roubaix.
In the video, van Aert congratulated the athlete on her ranking milestone. “I seek to wish you a huge congratulations on your top 100 place in the ranking. Chapeau!” van Aert stated. “I find it very nice that you are such a big fan of mine. Thank you for that.”
Van Aert likewise offered words of encouragement for her upcoming match and her future trajectory. “For me, there is still one big race coming up with Paris-Roubaix, but I also want to wish you much success with your match against America. Maintain going like this and I would say: top 100 doesn’t have to be the final destination.”
The connection between the two athletes dates back to 2023, when a 19-year-old Vandewinkel posted a photo with the cyclist on Instagram, captioning it, “Sometimes dreams develop into reality.” After the post resurfaced due to her growing fame, van Aert decided to reach out.
Vandewinkel, who admitted she was “slightly starstruck” during their first face-to-face meeting and hoped for another chance to meet him, was thrilled by the gesture. “That is f*cking cool,” she exclaimed upon seeing the video.
With the win over Jovic, Vandewinkel has not only validated van Aert’s encouragement but has placed Belgium in an ideal position to advance toward a potential trip to China.
