By Richard Pagliaro | Sunday, November 1, 2026
Photo credit: Screen Shot
Diana Shnaider was quiet at the outset but continues to impose the last word in finals.
In an all-lefty Tokyo final, Shnaider surged through five games in a row closing a 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 win over Leylah Fernandez to collect her maiden Toray Pan Pacific Open championship.
Shnaider scored her sixth straight finals victory, improving to 6-1 lifetime in finals with her lone loss coming to Ons Jabeur in her first final at the 2023 Ningbo.
Playing her first final of the year, Shnaider captured her first title since Monterrey in August of 2025. Three of her six championships—2024 Bad Homburg, 2025 Monterrey and Tokyo—have been WTA 500 level titles.
“I want to say thanks to and congratulate my coach, who is here with me, for achieving our first title this season,” Shnaider said referring to coach Sascha Bajin.
“It definitely means a lot, a great achievement and great finish of this season.”
A red-hot Fernandez had won 16 of her last 20 matches entering today’s final. That successful run included winning her sixth title in Singapore in September followed by her runner-up finish to Elena Rybakina in Ningbo last month.
“I would like to congratulate Diana. Congratulations,” Fernandez said. “An amazing week, a great match. Congratulations to you and your team.
“Hopefully we can have many more battles like this one.”
In today’s final, Shnaider came out commanding play from the baseline.
The former all-American from NC State broke at 30 in the third game in jumping out to a 3-1 lead.
On Shnaider’s first attempt to serve out the set, Fernandez broke back then held closing to 4-5.
Stepping to the line again, Shnaider served out the set with her second love hold.
Ripping her lefty forehand down the line and mixing in some timely drop shots, Shnaider tore out to a 4-0 second-set lead and was on track for a relatively routine victory.
A feisty Fernandez began striking with more depth and vigor. The 2021 US Open finalist responded winning eight of the next nine games to snatch the second set and go up 1-0 in the third.
Resetting and playing with more patience, Shnaider re-established her forehand and tore through the final five games to close in two hours, 18 minutes.
The 22-year-old Shnaider defeated Fernandez for the fourth time in a row, raising her 2026 record to 39-22. Fernandez fell to 31-26 on the season.
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