Iga Swiatek produced one of her most convincing performances of the season to defeat Elena Rybakina 6-2 6-3 in the National Bank Open Open final on Thursday, claiming her first WTA title of 2026 and the 26th trophy of her career.
The Polish star needed just 76 minutes to overcome the world No. 2 in Toronto, converting a dominant week into her 12th WTA 1000 title. That moves Swiatek ahead of Aryna Sabalenka for second place on the all-time list for WTA 1000 titles, with only Serena Williams, on 13, still ahead of her.
For Swiatek, the victory was about more than another big trophy. After a season in which she has faced intense scrutiny while searching for her best level, the Canadian Open provided a powerful response on court.
“I’m really happy that I kept focusing on growing, changing my game a little bit, improving despite all the opinions that many people have about me every day on the internet,” Swiatek said afterward. “It’s not easy to deal with all of that.”
The six-time Grand Slam champion made the perfect start. Rybakina double-faulted twice in the opening game to surrender her serve, and Swiatek immediately established control against her exhausted opponent, who had played four three-setters in her previous five matches.
Rybakina never found a consistent rhythm in the first set, committing 12 unforced errors as Swiatek broke twice and saved both break points she faced. The set was over in 30 minutes, with Swiatek already looking firmly in command.
The reigning Australian Open champion briefly threatened to change the momentum at the beginning of the second set, moving ahead 2-1. But Swiatek responded immediately, breaking for a 3-2 lead and refusing to give Rybakina another opening.
A composed hold for 5-3 put Swiatek within touching distance of the title. She then completed the victory with another break, sealing the championship with a backhand winner.
“I’m not sure if I can tell you what is not hurting actually,” Rybakina said after the match. “I feel kind of destroyed now. Especially when the tournament is finished, you kind of feel everything even more.”
Swiatek, meanwhile, leaves Toronto with considerably more than a trophy. Her run began with a bagel and she dropped only six games across her first two matches (against Sara Bejlek and Viktorija Golubic). After needing three sets to get past Marta Kostyuk in the fourth round, she returned to ruthless form with a 6-2 6-1 victory over Diana Shnaider in the quarterfinals. She then defeated Elina Svitolina in the semifinals, reversing the result of two previous three-set defeats to the Ukrainian earlier this season.
The Canadian Open triumph also completes an impressive collection of major North American titles for Swiatek. She has now won Indian Wells twice, Miami, the US Open, Cincinnati and Canada, giving her victories at all five of the continent’s biggest WTA events.
Yet the most significant development may be the confidence Swiatek appears to have regained. The Pole dedicated the title to people dealing with what she described as unfair judgment and hate.
“Just keep pushing, keep growing, keep focusing on yourself because you know what’s best for you,” she said. “And always remember what’s ahead and what might be possible.”
