Road to the final
| Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Fourth round | Liudmila Samsonova | Win |
| Quarterfinal | Naomi Osaka (11) | Win |
| Semifinal | Coco Gauff (4) | Win |
| Final | Iga Świątek (7) | Loss 2–6, 3–6 |
What happened in the final
The final was short and one-sided. Świątek imposed her pattern - long rallies with heavy topspin into the backhand - and never let Rybakina shorten the exchanges. The Kazakh's first-serve percentage dropped, and without it her template does not function; the mechanics are explained in the game analysis.
It was Świątek's second win over Rybakina in a final, after Doha 2024, and it moved the Pole ahead in their head-to-head.
Why the week still mattered
The 650 points for reaching the final became one of the decisive components in the race for No. 1. By the end of the tournament Rybakina's total stood at 8,316 points - close enough to Aryna Sabalenka that a month later, after the US Open quarterfinal, she went past her.
The second takeaway was beating Osaka and Gauff back to back. Both represent styles that traditionally trouble Rybakina, and both were handled on Canada's fast hard courts.
Match highlights
What came next
A week after Toronto, Rybakina started in Cincinnati and retired in the quarterfinals with an ankle injury. August 2026 was simultaneously the most productive and the most precarious stretch of her season.
How the National Bank Open works
The Canadian WTA 1000 is the oldest tennis tournament after the Grand Slams, first played in 1881. The women's and men's events alternate between cities each year: one season the women play Toronto and the men Montreal, the next the other way round. In 2026 the women's draw was in Toronto.
A WTA 1000 grading means 1,000 points to the champion and 650 to the runner-up - and it was those 650 points that proved decisive in Rybakina's ranking race. The surface is fast outdoor hard, and the event opens the North American swing that leads into the US Open.
Her record in Canada
The 2026 final is her best result at the Canadian event. Before that her ceiling here had been the later rounds without a title match: the fast surface suits her game, but a 96-player WTA 1000 draw with the entire top of the rankings present leaves little room for error.
The run itself was instructive: Liudmila Samsonova in the fourth round, Naomi Osaka in the quarterfinals and Coco Gauff in the semifinals - three opponents with completely different styles, from mirror-image power to the best defence on tour.
Why August 2026 was decisive
August is the most loaded month in the women's calendar: two WTA 1000 events back to back and a Grand Slam immediately afterwards. Points won in that stretch shape the balance of power for the rest of the season.
For Rybakina it was simultaneously the most productive and the most precarious August of her career: the Toronto final brought her within reach of No. 1, and a week later an injury in Cincinnati put her US Open entry in doubt. Both stories resolved as they did - the entry was confirmed, and New York delivered the top ranking.
The margin was narrow. Had the ankle been worse, the ranking race would have run into the Asian swing, where she defends far more points.
Frequently asked questions
Who won the 2026 Toronto final?
Iga Świątek, who beat Elena Rybakina 6–2, 6–3.
Who did Rybakina beat in Toronto?
Liudmila Samsonova in the fourth round, Naomi Osaka in the quarterfinals and Coco Gauff in the semifinals.
How many points did the Toronto final earn Rybakina?
650 ranking points - one of the key results in her run to world No. 1.