Iga Swiatek was poised and confident as she approached the National Bank Open title match on Thursday. With a strong track record of 25 wins and 5 losses in WTA Tour finals, the Polish player excels under pressure. Swiatek dominated the match against Elena Rybakina, securing a decisive 6-2, 6-3 victory at Sobeys Stadium in Toronto on a beautiful summer evening.
Expressing her focus during the match, Swiatek mentioned, “I was really in the zone and aimed to make the game physical.” She took an early lead in the first set by breaking Rybakina’s serve, capitalizing on the Kazakh’s double faults. Throughout the match, Swiatek showcased her skills at the net and defensively, keeping Rybakina on the defensive and preventing her from finding a rhythm.
In the second set, Swiatek secured another break at 2-2 before wrapping up the match in a concise 75 minutes. This win marked her first tournament victory since September’s Seoul triumph. With this title, Swiatek became the sole player to clinch a WTA 1000 title in each of the past six seasons.
Following her victory, Swiatek is set to climb two places to No. 6 in the latest world rankings. Despite her loss, Rybakina, the tournament’s second seed, will maintain her No. 2 ranking. Swiatek expressed her gratitude, stating, “I’m speechless because of the challenges this season. Winning against top players means a lot to me.”
Swiatek’s impressive win earned her a share of $1.09 million from the total purse of $7.43 million US, while Rybakina received approximately $565,000. In other matches, Katerina Siniakova of Czechia and Shuai Zhang of China emerged victorious in the doubles final.
In a separate event, Ben Shelton successfully defended his National Bank Open title by defeating Brandon Nakashima in an all-American final in Montreal. Shelton, the fifth seed, claimed his seventh ATP Tour victory and moved up to sixth in the rankings. His exceptional performance throughout the tournament, marked by powerful serves and clinical play, solidified his status as a top player.
On the infrastructure front, tournament director Karl Hale mentioned that while a retractable roof project is planned for IGA Stadium in Montreal, there are currently no immediate plans for a similar upgrade at the Toronto venue. The proposed project in Montreal aims to modernize the facilities and enhance the overall experience for fans and players.
Overall, both the women’s and men’s National Bank Open events showcased top-tier tennis talent and thrilling matches, setting the stage for a promising future for the sport in Canada.