Rybakina reverses deficit to reach Toronto final

Elena Rybakina arrived in the National Bank Open semifinals already carrying the weight of a packed 2026 schedule, yet she found the composure to reverse a set deficit against Coco Gauff and book her spot in Thursday’s final.

First set exposes serve pressure points

Gauff claimed the lone break in the twelfth game to close the opener 7-5, capitalizing on a stretch where Rybakina rushed several first-serve decisions. The No. 2 seed later admitted she felt the tempo slip away on her own delivery, allowing Gauff to dictate with deep crosscourt returns that pinned her behind the baseline. The crowd noise rose with every Gauff winner, adding another layer to the mounting tension both players carried into the night.

Rybakina responded by adding slice on second serves and shifting more first-serve targets down the line, cutting Gauff’s effective return percentage sharply in the next two sets. The surface in Toronto rewarded that adjustment. Faster hard courts let Rybakina’s inside-out forehand open the court earlier, and she began mixing heavy topspin crosscourt with flatter inside-in strikes to keep Gauff moving.

Return depth forces double faults

Rybakina needed only a handful of sharp returns at the start of the second set to flip the pressure. She stepped inside the baseline on Gauff’s second serve and redirected with pace, drawing the first of several double faults. By the middle of that set the American’s serve percentage had dropped and her error count climbed, giving Rybakina the 6-2 cushion she never relinquished. Only four games were lost across the final two sets as the pattern settled into a clear one-two combination: strong first serve followed by an aggressive forehand that pinned Gauff wide.

Burning the midnight oil! 🌙

Elena Rybakina comes back to defeat Gauff in a three set battle.#NBO26 pic.twitter.com/zf1ERDnFzp

— wta (@WTA) August 13, 2026

August 13, 2026 brought the first public glimpse of the comeback through the WTA feed, yet the tactical details emerged only after the final ball. Rybakina spoke plainly about the need to start the second set aggressively and avoid another rush on serve. That clarity carried her past Gauff and into position for a second WTA 1000 final of the season, this one on the hard courts where her 2026 ledger continues to grow.

Thirteenth clash with Swiatek looms

Rybakina has already played four three-set matches to reach this final, joining a short Open Era list that includes Lina Krasnoroutskaya in 2003, Venus Williams in 2014 and Bianca Andreescu in 2019. The 13th career meeting with Iga Swiatek awaits on Thursday, their record split six matches apiece after Rybakina’s most recent win at the Australian Open. The 26 hard-court victories Rybakina now owns in 2026 reflect more than volume. They show consistent adaptation on this surface, where she has reached seven WTA 1000 finals and sits level with Gauff on that count.

Only four active players have more at this level, and the numbers place her ahead of both Aryna Sabalenka and Elina Svitolina in seasonal hard-court wins. Recovery becomes the next variable. Rybakina leaned on a reliable 1–2 pattern, following heavy first serves with inside-in forehands that kept Gauff moving laterally rather than dictating. She will need to replicate the same early aggression that turned Wednesday’s match, because any lull could allow Swiatek’s heavy topspin to dictate longer rallies.