Polish tennis star Iga Swiatek defeated Elena Rybakina in straight sets to win the Canadian Open, securing her first WTA title of 2026 and returning to the top five rankings.
Iga Swiatek captured the Canadian Open title on Thursday with a commanding performance against world number two Elena Rybakina, winning 6-2 6-3 in Toronto. The 25-year-old Polish player, who holds six Grand Slam titles, broke Rybakina's serve twice in the opening set while the Kazakhstani struggled with 12 unforced errors. Swiatek sealed her 26th career title in just over an hour, maintaining her composure even as Rybakina saved two break points in the first set.
The second set saw Swiatek extend her dominance, winning five of the final six games after Rybakina had led 2-1. The Australian Open champion could not find a way through Swiatek's defence, ultimately committing 23 unforced errors and hitting only 13 winners across the match. "I tried my best but it wasn't enough," Rybakina said following the loss.
Swiatek, currently ranked eighth globally, expressed relief at the victory after a challenging season. She noted that the past months had been difficult and acknowledged the toll of online criticism while attempting to regain her best form. The Polish player, who won Wimbledon last year, reached only the fourth round at the French Open and third round at this year's Wimbledon, with her Australian Open campaign ending in the quarter-finals to eventual champion Rybakina. She appointed Spanish coach Francisco Roig, formerly of Rafael Nadal and Emma Raducanu, to her team in April. With the Canadian title secured, Swiatek will return to the top five rankings and will look to build momentum ahead of the US Open later this month.
