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Poland's six-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek claimed her first title of the 2026 season after defeating World No. 2 Elena Rybakina 6-2, 6-3 in the Canadian Open final in Toronto on Thursday, according to Olympics.com.
Iga Swiatek made a strong start against reigning Australian Open champion Rybakina, converting both of her break-point chances while saving both opportunities presented by her opponent. The Polish World No. 8 continued her dominance in the second set, facing no break points and converting two of her three opportunities to seal victory in just 75 minutes. "I want to dedicate this title to everyone who is dealing with unfair judgement and hate," Iga Swiatek, the Paris 2024 women's singles bronze medallist, said after the match, as quoted by Olympics.com The victory also pushes Swiatek ahead 7-6 in their head-to-head on the WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz, snapping a two-match skid against Rybakina. "Just keep pushing, keep growing, keep focusing on yourself because you know what's best for you. And always remember what's ahead and what might be possible," she added. The title triumph in Toronto marked Swiatek's 12th WTA 1000 crown, moving her past Aryna Sabalenka (11) for the second-most since the format debuted in 2009. The former World No. 1 now trails only Serena Williams, who has 13 such titles. This was the second time the two have met in a final, with both matches going Swiatek's way in straight sets. She is now 26-5 in WTA finals, the best win rate of any player with 20 or more WTA-level finals since the Tier format's introduction in 1990. The six-time Grand Slam champion opened her campaign with a bagel and dropped just six games across her first two matches. After a comeback win over Marta Kostyuk in the Round of 16, Swiatek returned to dominance in a 6-1, 6-2 rout of Diana Shnaider in the quarterfinals. In the semis, Swiatek avenged a pair of three-set losses to Elina Svitolina earlier this season with a three-set victory of her own to reach the championship match. (ANI)
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