By Richard Pagliaro | Thursday, August 13, 2026
Photo credit: National Bank Open Facebook
Bouncing on her toes like a boxer, Iga Swiatek scored imposing knockout for her first title of the year in Toronto.
Landing vicious combinations, Swiatek rolled a weary Elena Rybakina 6-2, 6-3 to capture her 26th career championship and maiden National Bank Open crown.
It is Swiatek’s first title since she edged Ekaterina Alexandrova to win Seoul last September.
“It means a lot. Yeah, I’m speechless a little bit because the journey has been bumpy this season,” Swiatek said. “So, to be here and to hold the trophy, and to win against the best players for sure means a lot. I’m just proud of myself and super happy.”
Former world No. 1 Swiatek solidified her status as a WTA 1000 warrior improving to 12-2 lifetime in WTA 1000 finals.
A convincing closer, Swiatek improved to 26-5 in career Tour-level finals.
“She’s a really tough opponent. If she plays her best game, she’s probably better than everyone, you know,” Swiatek said of Rybakina. “So you need to use all the opportunities. You can’t let yourself make mistakes or bad decisions.
“So I was really in the zone today. I wanted to make the match physical, and, yeah, to use my top spin and to remember that I have a game that I can control with the spin and with the curve that the ball has. So in these conditions also I found confidence in that.
“Yeah, but, you know, any match against her is tough, especially knowing how she serves and she can win so many points for free.”
The seventh-seeded Swiatek beat Rybakina for the first time since the 2025 Cincinnati Open semifinals. Swiatek denied Rybakina her third WTA 1000 title, taking a 7-6 lead in their head-to-head series.
“Elena, congrats for a great tournament,” Swiatek said. “You’re such a great competitor. It’s always tough to play against you. We played many important matches against each other and I’m sure we’re gonna play many, many more.”
Beating a lethargic Rybakina to the ball, an energized Swiatek won 13 of 22 points played on the Kazakh’s second serve and converted four of five break points.
Stamina was a factor before a ball was struck.
Australian Open champion Rybakina repelled Coco Gauff, 5-7, 6-2, 6-2 in a semifinal that ended shortly after 1 a.m. today.
How would Rybakina respond from the fast turnaround—and her fourth three-set win of the tournament? Rybakina was a half-step slow to the ball and couldn’t consistently challenge the swift Swiatek in extending running rallies.
“I mean, I was just very tired. You could see that I wasn’t pushing with the legs enough,” Rybakina said. “There was a lot of unforced errors, especially on top of the net. It was just pure lack of concentration. Even on those kind of easy balls, too.
“So, yeah, of course, Iga, she’s a tough opponent, and she was trying to get all the balls back, of course. So, yeah, it was difficult for me today, and, yeah, I just hope that I takeall the lessons and somehow next time going to do better.”
Understandably sluggish at the outset, Rybakina dumped successive double faults to gift-wrap the break in the opening game. Swiatek backed up the break holding at 30 for a quick 2-0 lead.
Swiatek’s skill changing direction came into play. Stepping in, the Pole spun a heavy topspin forehand down the line scoring her second break with a shout for a 5-2 lead after 26 minutes of play.
The six-time Grand Slam champion slid a serve winner down the T capping a love hold to close a superb opening set in 29 minutes.
Playing for her first WTA 1000 title since the 2023 Rome, Rybakina left the court for a bathroom break to regroup following the first set.
Swiatek never let the Australian Open champion impose her game and continued to run Rybakina into the corners.
“She’s playing really well in defense. She can take the opportunity during the rally and turn it around,” Rybakina said. “As I said, for me, I feel like it was more from my side that I wasn’t playing aggressive enough. I was not with the energy enough to play against her.
“We all know she’s a fighter, and she can run left and right much longer than me. We have different style of the game, so I couldn’t show my style at my best. I tried really until the end.”
Spreading the court with her twisting topspin forehand, Swiatek was bending the ball into the corners forcing the 6’ Kazakh to sometimes chase on the run. Swiatek banged out the break at 15 in the fifth game then spun a forehand down the line that helped her confirm the break for 4-2.
Imposing her edge in running rallies, Swiatek swept a crosscourt forehand strike aor a second championship point. Pushing Rybakina side to side, Swiatek stepped in and bolted a backhand winner down the line to close a masterful 75-minute triumph.
A fired-up Swiatek pointed her index finger to her temple signifying her mental toughness taking her first title of this 2026 season.
Returning to the winner’s circle, Swiatek explained her finals dominance simply: She’s all in.
“I guess if I’m in the final it means that my game is good, and that gives me confidence, for sure. It means also that I play, like, some matches, some were probably tough, some were not,” Swiatek said. “So I know, I just know what to do, I’m already in the rhythm, and I guess the focus, and not letting your head go to places where it can distract you to be in the final, you know, and you can feel the pressure.
“You need to go all in if you want to win the tournament because you’re going to face the best player in
the final. So just trying to focus on that.”
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