Elina Svitolina Knows What She Needs to Do to Upset Iga Swiatek at Canadian Open

Elina Svitolina will be aiming to clinch her third consecutive win over Iga Swiatek. Swiatek and Svitolina will face each other in the semifinal of the Canadian Open, where the latter is a former champion.

Svitolina won in 2017 by beating Caroline Wozniacki. Swiatek, on the other hand, is a one-time semifinalist, reaching the stage in 2023. The Ukrainian ace trails 3-4 in the head-to-head matchups but defeated the Pole in the quarterfinals of the Indian Wells and the semifinals of the Italian Open this year.

Prior to scheduling the match against the six-time Grand Slam champion, Svitolina overcame Ekaterina Alexandrova in three sets, and at the press conference later, she talked about how she would be challenging the former World No.1.

The things I can control are my mindset and taking it one point at a time. She’s also a great fighter and has brought that competitive spirit, those high intentions, and that courage to many titles. So it will be about trying to find the keys to her game, looking for specific patterns that might work against her.

Elina Svitolina said at the press conference

Prior to this tournament, Swiatek had made the semifinals just once this season, and it was in Rome. Swiatek, in fact, has not yet played a tour-level final since winning the 2025 Korea Open.

We’re at the highest level of women’s tennis. We all know how to hit our forehand and backhand, so it’s about developing different game plans and trying to perform our best on the day.

Elina Svitolina added

Svitolina will be aiming to reach her fourth final of the season. The five-time WTA 1000 champion beat Wang Xinyu in Auckland, before losing the Dubai Tennis Championships to Jessica Pegula. She then beat Coco Gauff at the Italian Open.

Iga Swiatek says working with Francisco Roig has brought calmness

Iga Swiatek suffered an opening-round exit at the Miami Open, following which she and coach Wim Fissette split. She hired Francisco Roig, who also worked with 22-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal. Swiatek, at the press conference after her quarterfinal win over Diana Shnaider in Toronto, talked about the impact of Roig on her team.

That calmness on the court was the goal since I started working with Francis, but it is true that this period of summer Grand Slams and the different tournaments I have played. You know, playing on clay with all the noise I usually have around on that surface sometimes doesn’t help. I didn’t have that mental clarity to keep doing the things he wanted me to do. Here I feel like it has become more of a habit, something more natural.

Swiatek last won a title on clay at the 2024 French Open. She has not yet played a final on clay since winning her fourth French Open title that year. This year in the tournament, Marta Kostyuk downed her in the fourth round. But Swiatek got her revenge in the fourth round of this tournament.

If Swiatek beats Elina Svitolina, she will face Belinda Bencic, Coco Gauff, Elena Rybakina, and Naomi Osaka in the final. After Toronto, the former World No.1 will be heading to Cincinnati to bid for her second consecutive title in the event. She beat Jasmine Paolini in the final last year, winning her 11th WTA 1000 tournament.

Last year at the Canadian Open, her campaign ended in the fourth round. And at the US Open, she crashed out after reaching the quarterfinals. World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka will enter New York as the defending champion. She defeated home favorite Amanda Anisimova last year.

Also read: Elena Rybakina Makes Feelings Clear on No.1 Ranking Goal After Aryna Sabalenka’s Canadian Open Exit