Elina Svitolina scored her 40th win of the year, tying Jessica Pegula for Tour lead.
By Richard Pagliaro | Monday, August 10, 2026
Photo credit: National Bank Open Facebook
Deficits only deepen Elene Svitolina’s drive.
Overwhelmed in the opening set, Svitolina stormed through eight straight games dispatching Ekaterina Alexandrova 3-6, 6-0, 6-3 to reach the National Bank Open semifinals for the third time.
Lashing a crosscourt backhand strike, Svitolina broke at love to end a 93-minute comeback conquest then did a running victory leap in celebration.
The ninth-seeded Svitolina improved to 40-11 on the season, matching Jessica Pegula for most wins on the WTA Tour this season.
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Rome champion Svitolina scored her 10th consecutive WTA 1000 match win and set up a a semifinal rematch vs. former world No. 1 Iga Swiatek.
The 31-year-old Svitolina is playing for her 21st career championship, and her first Canadian Open crown since she collected the 2017 title.
In tonight’s first quarterfinal, Swiatek deconstructed Diana Shnaider 6-2, 6-1 driving into her second semifinal of the season. Svitolina edged Swiatek in a three-set Rome semifinal on red clay in May.
Six-time Grand Slam champion Swiatek has won four of their seven career clashes, but Svitolina has defeated the Pole in both of their 2026 meetings. Svitolina scored a 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 triumph over Swiatek in the Indian Wells quarterfinals last March.
When the explosive Alexandrova is timing the ball well and getting enough net clearance, she can torch even elite opponents with her down the line missiles. Alexandrova showed just how dangerous she can be toppling world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in the round of 16 and replicated that imposing form for a set tonight.
Playing off her front foot, Alexandrova was driving her flat backhand down the line with menace as Svitolina tried to extend the rallies.
Facing a third break point, Svitolina sank a double fault into the net. Svitolina swiped her racquet in disgust, ceding the break and a 3-2 lead to Alexandrova.
Whipping an ace out wide, Alexandrova wiped away a break point. Alexandrova worked the wide serve to set up her first strike shrewdly, backing up the break for 4-2.
Pounding flat strikes with conviction, Alexandrova blind-sided Svitolina with a pair of jolting return winners that helped her gain triple set point.
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A rattled Svitolina sailed a drive as Alexandrova broke at love to cap a stirring 29-minute set of bold first-strike tennis. Alexandrova blistered 12 winners—nine more than Svitolina—in the first set.
Responding by varying her spins and adding a bit more slice, Svitolina broke to start the second set.
Svitolina was connecting on her first serve with more depth as she held at 30 to extend to 4-0. Svitolina was striking in clean combinations while Alexandrova was sometimes crashing her flat drives into the top of the tape. Svitolina drew another error breaking for a 5-0 advantage after 48 minutes of play.
Svitolina’s body control and skill bending the ball into the corners while on the run was on full display when she served out the second set. Dropping to her knees, Aga Radwanska style, Svitolina steered a backhand into the corner for set point. Another sharp-angled backhand crosscourt completed the second set bagel Svitolina baked up to force a final set after 53 minutes.
In a ball-control clinic, Svitolina surged through eight straight games for a 2-0 lead in the decider.
The 16th-seeded Alexandrova held to snap her eight-game slide and win her first game since she broke to take the opening set.
Svitolina reads the play and her opponent’s intent shrewdly. Pouncing on a mid-court net-cord short, Svitolina smacked a diagonal backhand strike to break for a 4-1 lead.
Though Svitolina double faulted away a break, she immediately responded. Svitolina rolled through the love break to end it in one hour, 33 minutes.
Striking the ball cleanly, Svitolina sets her sights on a third straight win over Swiatek and a shot to win her third title of the year after championship runs in Auckland and Rome.
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Richard Pagliaro. Richard Pagliaro is Tennis Now Managing Editor. He is a graduate of New York University and has covered pro tennis for more than 35 years. Richard was tennis columnist for Gannett Newspapers in NY, served as Managing Editor for TennisWeek.com and worked as a writer/editor for Tennis.com. He has been TennisNow.com managing editor since 2010.