Elena Rybakina reacts after winning a game against Coco Gauff during their semi-final. World No.2 Rybakina could close within four points of Aryna Sabalenka for the World No.1 spot by winning the title in Toronto.Dan Hamilton/Reuters
Iga Swiatek and Elena Rybakina will meet for the National Bank Open title in Toronto on Thursday.
Swiatek, the six-time grand slam winner from Poland, dispatched Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina 6-3, 1-6, 6-3 in a back-and-forth, rain-delayed semi-final.
Rybakina of Kazakhstan toppled American Coco Gauff, 5-7, 6-2, 6-2 in a semi that stretched until nearly 1 a.m.
World No.2 Rybakina could close within four points of Aryna Sabalenka for the World No.1 spot by winning the title in Toronto. Sabalenka has held the WTA’s top ranking since October 2024.
The Kazakhstani player, a two-time grand slam champ, is seeking her third title of the year. She’s having a hot 2026 season, highlighted by a career-high ranking, titles at the Australian Open and Stuttgart, and a finals appearance in Indian Wells.
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Swiatek, the former World No.1, who is now ranked No.8, would return to the WTA’s Top 5 if she can hoist the Canadian Open trophy. It would be Swiatek’s 26th career WTA title, but the first of this season for the 25-year-old from Warsaw.
Both are in the final at Canada’s marquee tennis tournament for the first time.
The singles champion of the 12-day WTA 1000-level tournament will earn US$1,085,220 of the total US$7,433,076 purse.
This was the first time at the Canadian Open since 2000 that all four semi-finalists were currently ranked inside the Top 10.
Iga Swiatek celebrates her victory in three sets over Elina Svitolina in the National Bank Open semi-finals in Toronto on Wednesday.Chris Young/The Canadian Press
Wednesday’s action started over an hour late, as a rainstorm passed over Sobeys Stadium.
Swiatek dominated the first set, before Svitolina, the 2017 winner of this tournament, turned the tables and dictated in the second set.
The deciding set started totally different. Gruelling, they stayed neck-and-neck for five games. Swiatek fought off six break points before 31-year-old Svitolina finally broke her serve. Swiatek broke right back, and then never relinquished control.
“I knew I could do it, because I did it in the first set. I had it in me, I just needed to find the right rhythm,” said Swiatek. “I’m happy that I was patient enough to do that and didn’t get disappointed or didn’t give up.”
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The crowd then stayed to see Gauff and Rybakina take the court. The 22-year-old American earned the only break of the opening set, before her 27-year-old opponent dictated play in the second set.
As the hour got late, the temperature dropped and the crowd thinned for the third set. Those who dedicated to stay were loud.
Rybakina ran away with the third set.
On top of beating the two-time grand slam champ and World No.4, Gauff, Rybakina rallied past the World No.13 and four-time grand slam winner Naomi Osaka on her road to the final.
Rybakina and Swiatek have played one another 12 times, and each have six wins.