Iga Swiatek has reached her first WTA final of the season, securing a spot in the Canadian Open championship match after a three-set victory over Elina Svitolina. The Polish player won the semifinal in Toronto with a score of 6-3, 1-6, 6-3.
Swiatek, who is 25 years old, has not reached a final in a year, with her last appearance being at Cincinnati 12 months ago. This season has been challenging for her, and she noted that this week's performance has been "really positive and inspirational."
Later in the day, Australian Open champion Elena Rybakina also advanced to the final, defeating Coco Gauff in a three-set match. Rybakina lost the first set but came back to win 5-7, 6-2, 6-2. This marks Rybakina's second consecutive three-set win, having also come from behind in her quarter-final match.
The final will be the 13th professional meeting between Swiatek and Rybakina, with their head-to-head record currently tied at six wins each. Their most recent encounter was in the quarter-finals of Rybakina's Australian Open-winning campaign in 2026, where Rybakina won in straight sets.
Rybakina acknowledged the difficulty of facing Swiatek, stating, "It's going to again be a very difficult match, and we know each other so well. We play so many times." She added that her focus will be on recovery and bringing energy to the court.
In the men's singles event at the Canadian Open in Montreal, American players Ben Shelton and Brandon Nakashima will compete in the final. Both players won their respective semi-final matches in straight sets. Nakashima's victory would mark his first Masters 1,000 title, while Shelton aims to defend his title and secure his seventh ATP tournament win.