August 14, 2026<\/a><\/p>\nThe head-to-head between \u015awi\u0105tek and Rybakina was 6-6 heading into Thursday\u2019s match, with Rybakina winning the last two meetings. That included a 7-5, 6-1 victory during Rybakina\u2019s run to a second Slam title at this year\u2019s Australian Open.<\/p>\n
\u015awi\u0105tek, though, played like the hunter Thursday, showcasing her efficient serve, elite court coverage and spinny baseline shots.<\/p>\n
She dictated the rallies in the first game, and Rybakina double-faulted to hand \u015awi\u0105tek an early break advantage. \u015awi\u0105tek dropped just 4 points on her first serve (15 of 19) the rest of the set. Using power up the middle (she got up to 170 kph) and spin out wide, \u015awi\u0105tek put Rybakina off balance with her serve. She also glided on the baseline, displaying her relentless defense with a sprawling backhand up the line in the fourth game.<\/p>\n
Serving 3-2, but down 2 break points, \u015awi\u0105tek took control by unleashing deep forehands that forced Rybakina to hit her returns long. Three consecutive Rybakina errors gave \u015awi\u0105tek a game point. She capitalized with an overwhelming serve up the T, yelling \u201cLet\u2019s go!\u201d as she went up 4-2, and didn\u2019t lose another game in the set.<\/p>\n
Rybakina won four of her first five matches at the Canadian Open in three sets and spent 11 hours, 25 minutes on court. She wore down world No. 4 Coco Gauff with her power in the semifinals, but the three-set win ended just after 1 a.m. ET Thursday. She was back on court less than 24 hours later, and the toll of those long matches was visible during her last practice one hour before the match, when she bent over and grabbed her left leg.<\/p>\n
After the match, Rybakina said she felt \u201cdestroyed.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI was just very tired. You could see that I wasn\u2019t pushing with the legs enough. There was a lot of unforced errors, especially on top of the net. It was just pure lack of concentration.\u201d<\/p>\n
It didn\u2019t help that \u015awi\u0105tek kept up the pressure the entire match, redirecting her groundstrokes and putting Rybakina on the run.<\/p>\n
With Rybakina serving 2-2 in the second set, \u015awi\u0105tek secured her third break of the match when her return clipped the net and landed low in the court. Rybakina dumped her backhand in the net, extending \u015awi\u0105tek\u2019s lead.<\/p>\n
\u015awi\u0105tek served to close out the match for her 12th WTA 1000 title, crediting her poise through a draw that saw her beat four top-20 players.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m happy that I kept my composure, kept my focus, and I keep growing every month no matter what the challenges are,\u201d \u00a0\u015awi\u0105tek said.<\/p>\n
\u015awi\u0105tek\u2019s season had been below expectations before Toronto. She won only 23 matches between winning Wimbledon in 2025 and the start of the Canadian Open, with her best result being a semifinal appearance at the Italian Open. At the Slams, \u015awi\u0105tek\u2019s best result was a quarterfinal at the Australian Open, where she fell to Rybakina. She lost to Marta Kostyuk in the fourth round of Roland Garros before losing to 21-year-old Alex Eala in the third round of Wimbledon in her title defense.<\/p>\n
In April, \u015awi\u0105tek added Francisco Roig, who spent two decades with Rafael Nadal\u2019s coaching team, as a coach. She said she had been playing \u201ctoo flat and too fast,\u201d leading to risky decisions. But in the four months since adding Roig, she has shown more poise on the court.<\/p>\n
\u201cI feel like it\u2019s already got more into my habit and it became more natural,\u201d \u015awi\u0105tek said. \u201cThat\u2019s definitely how I want to play, to have this patience.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u015awi\u0105tek had a calm practice three hours before the final. She went through her arsenal of shots with her coaches as her sports psychologist, Daria Abramowicz, watched and retrieved balls. After \u015awi\u0105tek hit one last serve, she gave her team a thumbs-up and left the court.<\/p>\n
Three hours later, she raised the championship trophy as Polish fans chanted her name inside Sobeys Stadium, the same court where she recorded a breakthrough victory over former world No. 1 Caroline Woznaicki in 2019. When the WTA rankings come out Monday, she will be No. 5. Her sights are now set on the Cincinnati Open, where she is defending champion.<\/p>\n