Swiatek ends title drought with dominant Canadian Open victory

TORONTO: Iga Swiatek ended her title drought with a convincing 6-2 6-3 victory over Elena Rybakina in the Canadian Open final on Thursday, boosting her confidence ahead of the U.S. Open.

The victory was Swiatek’s first title of the season and her first appearance in the final of the Toronto hard-court tournament, which serves as a key warm-up for the year’s final Grand Slam.

The six-times Grand Slam champion quickly established control, with the crowd regularly chanting her name as Polish flags dotted the stands.

Swiatek was aggressive and precise from the baseline, while Rybakina struggled to find her rhythm. The Kazakhstan player committed 12 unforced errors in the opening set and was broken twice.

Rybakina, the Australian Open champion, also struggled to make an impact with her serve, managing only one ace in the match. Swiatek saved two break points in the first set before closing it out comfortably.

The Pole struck again in the second set, breaking Rybakina for a 3-2 lead. Although Swiatek dropped her next service game, she responded strongly by winning the final three games to seal the title.

Swiatek, 25, finished the match with a clean winner on match point, securing her first trophy of the year and ending a run without a title.

The victory gives Swiatek valuable momentum as she turns her attention to the U.S. Open, where she will look to add to her Grand Slam collection.