Iga Swiatek Finds Her Groove Again in Toronto

For most of 2026, the question hanging over Iga Swiatek’s season was an uncomfortable one: where did the dominant force from 2022 through 2024 go? A former world No. 1 with six Grand Slam titles to her name had gone the entire year without reaching a single final. Then Toronto happened.

On Thursday night at Sobeys Stadium, the seventh-seeded Pole dismantled world No. 2 Elena Rybakina 6-2, 6-3 to capture the National Bank Open presented by Rogers — her first title of a difficult season, and a signature statement heading into the US Open.

A Draw With No Mercy

Swiatek didn’t back into this title. She rolled through the field in Toronto, dropping just one set all week. Along the way she dispatched 15th seed Diana Shnaider 6-2, 6-1, battled past 10th seed Marta Kostyuk in three, and cruised past Viktorija Golubic and Sara Bejlek in straight sets. Her toughest test before the final came in a rain-delayed semifinal against Elina Svitolina, which Swiatek won 6-3, 1-6, 6-3 after racing out to an early lead.

Rybakina, meanwhile, was doing things the hard way. The Kazakh star fought back from a set down in three straight matches to reach the final — including a comeback win over Coco Gauff in the semis — building a reputation as the tournament’s comeback queen.

The Final: Business as Usual

That comeback magic never showed up for Rybakina against Swiatek. The final unraveled for her almost immediately, as a shaky start — including back-to-back double faults — handed Swiatek an early break she never gave back. Swiatek closed out the first set comfortably, and while Rybakina held to open the second, the cracks reappeared: a wide backhand and a netted return gifted Swiatek the break that put the match firmly out of reach.

The numbers told the story of the mismatch. Rybakina, usually one of the tour’s most reliable servers, struck just one ace to Swiatek’s none, but piled up four double faults to Swiatek’s one and converted only 41 percent of her second-serve points.

What the Title Means

This wasn’t just any trophy. The win completed a career sweep of North America’s biggest hard-court events for Swiatek, adding the Canadian Open to her collection alongside Indian Wells (2022, 2024), Miami (2022), the US Open (2022), and Cincinnati (2025) — making her, by that measure, the youngest woman to complete the set.

It’s also her 26th career title, her 12th at the WTA 1000 level, and her 56th career win over a top-10 opponent. Perhaps most strikingly, Swiatek has now won a significant trophy in each of the last seven seasons — proof that even in a season defined by frustration, the fundamentals that made her one of the most dominant players of her generation never really left.

For a player who spent much of 2026 searching for answers, Toronto didn’t just deliver a trophy. It delivered evidence — to the tour, and maybe to herself — that the version of Iga Swiatek capable of steamrolling the best players in the world is still very much in there.