Iga Swiatek secured her first final appearance of the season at the Canadian Open on Wednesday, battling past Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina with a 6-3, 1-6, 6-3 victory. The former world number one, who claimed a Grand Slam title in Flushing Meadows in 2022, managed to clinch a rain-interrupted opening set before Svitolina shifted the momentum, breaking the Polish star twice during a dominant second set.
The deciding set saw Svitolina take a 3-2 lead, but Swiatek responded by winning four consecutive games to seal the match. Reflecting on her performance, Swiatek told the Tennis Channel that she recognized the need to regain her rhythm after the second set. She noted that maintaining composure and adhering to a strategic plan during a match is difficult, but she was pleased that her efforts in the third set proved successful, adding that she never doubted her ability to recover.
Swiatek’s season has been marked by inconsistency, including a failure to progress past the quarterfinals in Grand Slam events and a coaching change following an unexpected second-round exit in Miami against Magda Linette. She will now face Elena Rybakina in the final of this U.S. Open tune-up event.
Rybakina, the 2022 Wimbledon champion, earned her spot by defeating Coco Gauff 5-7, 6-2, 6-2 in the other semi-final. Although Gauff narrowly took the first set, her performance faltered after dropping her serve in the second, allowing the Kazakhstani player to win five straight games. Rybakina then secured control of the third set with two quick breaks and successfully defended against break points to close out the victory.
This final match-up follows a previous encounter between Gauff and Rybakina in Toronto in 2022, which the American won in three sets. World number two Rybakina acknowledged the difficulty of their rivalry, noting that their matches are always competitive. She admitted to rushing her play in the first set but expressed satisfaction at winning in three sets for the fourth time during the tournament.
Kazakhstan’s Rybakina, the 2022 Wimbledon winner, broke twice in quick succession to take command of the third set and fought off a couple of break points to serve out the win.
“It’s not easy to do that during a match – to keep your calm and your composure and follow the plan.
