Martin Hromkovič Player Profile: Career, Style and Football Journey
Martin Hromkovič Player Profile: Career, Style and Football Journey
When footballers quit the sport, it is usually to retire from the game due to old age or a recurring injury. Some go into coaching, some punditry, and some even pivot to another sport—Petr Cech leaving Arsenal to play ice hockey is a high-profile case of this.
But when they retire, not many expect to fall in love with the person they are coaching.
But this is exactly what happened to Martin Hromkovic.
Career and Style of Football
Martin Hromkovic was an unassuming Slovakian defender who spent his entire career bouncing between the Slovakian and Austrian leagues—albeit for a single season in the German fifth division.
His high points came when he played for FK Inter Bratislava, a side that has won two Slovakian League championships. He also enjoyed spells at St. Margarethen in Austria and SFM Senec back in Slovakia.
Despite being a defender, Hromkovic was known for making late runs to the edge of the box where he was able to increase pressure on the opposition, and sometimes popped up with a goal from distance.
Standing at 192cm, Hromkovic was an aerial threat in the box. Possibly his greatest strength was bullying the opposing defenders as he easily managed to get his head to the ball on several corners and helped add an attacking threat to his team.
Post Football Career
When Hromkovic decided to kick off his boots in 2019 at the age of 37, he decided to commit fully to a career in fitness coaching, swapping the pitch for the training ground.
He had already been dating tennis star Belinda Bencic for a few months at the time. The couple started dating in November 2018.
His retirement from football allowed the partnership to extend into their professional lives, too, as Hromkovič became Bencic’s official strength and conditioning coach
Their professional relationship soon deepened into something more. When the couple went public, Bencic explained: ‘It came a little unexpected, but it’s an ideal situation. When I work on fitness in Slovakia, we can be together. Martin wants the best for me in both my private life and my sport. He often travels, and I’m very grateful for his support”
As time passed, their relationship evolved in tandem with Bencic’s career. In their second full year together, Hromkovič played a key role in her rise to new heights, reaching a career-high ranking of world No. 4 on February 17, 2020, and finishing the season inside the top 10 at No. 8.
All while this was happening, Hromkovic and Bencic both had to keep their work life strictly professional. Although Hromkovic was not a football star anymore, Bencic was at the top of her tennis game.
This would not matter, though, as Bencic came out saying, “When I work, I really see him as a coach. I hope it stays that way. For him, the job is done when I’m fit. Martin was an athlete himself, a footballer. So he understands well when I’m nervous or tense.”
It would not take long for their relationship to step up another level. On a romantic holiday in the Maldives in November 2023, Hromkovic proposed to Bencic.
From there, things only got better for the couple. In April of 2024, they welcomed their daughter Bella to the world, and in the same month, they also got married.
In the present day, the happy couple are still together and thriving in life. With the help of Hromkovic, this year Bencic achieved a semi-final place in Wimbledon, her highest ever.
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