On Thursday night in Toronto, the atmosphere was electric as chants of "Iga, Iga, Iga" filled the air following the third point of the match. Iga Swiatek, the seventh-seeded Polish tennis star, returned to her top form in a commanding fashion as she captured her first WTA tournament title of the year, defeating No. 2 Elena Rybakina with a scoreline of 6-2, 6-3 at the National Bank Open presented by Rogers.
Swiatek, a six-time Grand Slam winner, had been struggling with her performance this year, not having reached any finals prior to this tournament. Her last tournament victory came at the Cincinnati Open in 2023, prior to the current event. The Canadian WTA Tour 1000 event marked a pivotal moment for Swiatek, showcasing her resilience and skill.
The final match was particularly significant as it was the first National Bank Open women's final featuring multiple Grand Slam champions since 1999. From the onset, Swiatek established her dominance against Rybakina, who is known for her powerful hitting. Rybakina, the 2023 Australian Open champion, double-faulted twice in the opening game, giving Swiatek an early lead that she maintained throughout the first set.
Swiatek's strategic play continued as she secured another break, advancing to a 5-2 lead. Despite being a formidable opponent, Rybakina struggled to capitalize on critical opportunities. She faced two break-point chances in the first set but failed to convert, hitting the ball long on both occasions. The first set ended with Rybakina racking up 12 unforced errors, significantly more than Swiatek’s single-digit count.
The second set saw Swiatek maintain her momentum, breaking Rybakina again to take a 3-2 lead. From there, she cruised to victory, converting 4 out of 5 break points and wrapping up the match on Rybakina’s serve. Rybakina, throughout the tournament, had taken four of her previous five matches to three sets and had spent a total of 11 hours and 25 minutes on the court—over three hours longer than Swiatek. The runner-up's previous match against Coco Gauff concluded late, near 1 a.m. ET, leaving her with limited time to recuperate before the evening final.
This victory not only marked a significant milestone for Swiatek but also reinstated her consistency as she has become the only player to reach a WTA Tour 1000 final in each of the last six seasons. Her win at the National Bank Open adds to her impressive resume, emphasizing her capability to excel even after a challenging first half of the year.
For her triumphant win, Swiatek took home a prize of $1.085 million, while Rybakina, despite falling just short, received $565,920 for her efforts—this being her third title hunt of the year. The match highlights Swiatek's return to form and sets the stage for exciting future competitions on the WTA Tour.
