Third Time’s the Charm for Swiatek Against Svitolina in Toronto

The world No. 8 had not made a tour-level final this year prior to the National Bank Open presented by Rogers, her longest-ever drought to start a season. Even in her debut year on tour, it only took the then 17-year-old until April to reach a title match.

However, everything pointed to a National Bank Open final in Toronto for Swiatek. The six-time major champion was at her best en route to her 23^rd career WTA 1000 semifinal, taking down world No. 11 Marta Kostyuk from a set down then dispatching 15^th seed Diana Shnaider. 

The 25-year-old’s trickiest test awaited her in the semifinals, though. Swiatek clashed with world No. 9 Elina Svitolina, who entered the final four on a 10-match winning streak at WTA 1000s that began during her Rome title run. The Pole had also played the Ukrainian twice already this season and lost on both occasions.

The question on Wednesday then was – will the third time be the charm for Swiatek against Svitolina in Toronto?

The match went the seventh seed’s way early. Swiatek broke in her first three return games to hold a commanding 5-1 lead in the first set, before serving out the opener on the second try. However, the former world No. 1’s game dipped in the second and Svitolina punished, going 5-0 in front as she soon clinched the set.

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“I think I let [Svitolina] play her game a little bit because I sometimes play too short. The balls were not that heavy from my side, so I just needed to put even more energy if I wanted to play better in the third,” Swiatek said in a press conference on Aug. 13 in Toronto.

The Pole did exactly what she set out to do as the third set went along. Swiatek fought through some tight service games but was later broken in the fifth game. Unfazed, the 25-year-old broke in back-to-back games to earn the chance to serve for the match at 5-3, successfully doing so and punching her ticket into her first WTA 1000 final since her 2025 Cincinnati title.

“I just wanted to adjust the quality, to have better quality because you can't do much if you're just not hitting the ball right,” Swiatek said. “I knew I can do it, because I did it in the first set. I had it in me, I just needed to find the right rhythm. I'm happy that I was patient enough to do that and didn't get disappointed or didn't give up and just found a way to play better in the third.”

While the world No. 8’s game was back at its best in the third, her mindset also played a big factor into getting across the finish line. Swiatek said that, “you kind of start from the beginning when we start the third set. It doesn't matter what happened in the second, I know what to do in the third, and I just needed to follow that.” 

Swiatek battles another familiar foe with the NBO title on the line on Thursday. The seventh seed plays world No. 2 Elena Rybakina for the 13^th time, losing the last two meetings against the Kazakhstani. 

The WTA's best return to Toronto for the National Bank Open presented by Rogers Aug 1 to 13 at Sobeys Stadium. Get your tickets today!

Feature Photo : Morgan Givens/Wick Photography for National Bank Open