Toronto, Aug 14 (IANS) Iga Swiatek broke her near year-long title drought, beating Elena Rybakina to win the Canadian Open women’s singles crown.

The eighth-ranked Pole had not won a title or reached a final since winning in Seoul last September. But she capped a stellar run in Toronto with a dominant 6-2, 6-3 win over World No. 2 Rybakina in 75 minutes to claim her first title of the season — and the 26th of her career.

It also marked her 12 WTA 1000 crown, moving her past Aryna Sabalenka (11) for the second-most since the format debuted in 2009. She now trails only Serena Williams (13).

The 2026 season had been a lackluster one by Swiatek’s high standards entering Toronto. She had yet to reach a final, had slipped to No. 8 in the world and was on the fringes of the WTA Finals picture. Above all else, her confidence appeared shaken.

Swiatek defeated four Top 20 opponents en route to the title (Rybakina, Svitolina, Shnaider, Kostyuk), the first time since winning Roland-Garros in 2024 that she has beaten three or more in a single tournament.

“We all work to have these moments, and for sure I was missing it a little bit. I’m happy at the end; I stayed focused on just grinding and improving because that’s the most important thing. This season, it has been necessary,” Swiatek said of snapping her drought at her press conference. “This week my tennis clicked, physicality as well, the mental work also. For sure best week of the season so far.”

With her triumph in Toronto, Swiatek has now captured all five significant North American titles: Indian Wells (2022, 2024), Miami (2022), US Open (2022), Cincinnati (2025) and Canada (2026).

She is also three-fourths of the way to a Career Slam, missing only an Australian Open title, and has won eight of the 10 WTA 1000s on offer — with Dubai and Wuhan the only two she has yet to claim.

In total, Swiatek holds 19 Big Titles, including Roland Garros (x4), US Open, Wimbledon, WTA Finals, Rome (x3), Doha (x2), Indian Wells (x2), Beijing, Canada, Cincinnati, Madrid and Miami.

Despite failing to grab her third title of the season, Rybakina will still move into first in the WTA race. She leaves Toronto as the season leader in hard court wins (26) and WTA 1000 wins (22).

–IANS

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