Iga Świątek crushes Diana Sznajder 6:2, 6:1 to reach Toronto WTA 1000 semifinal

Quarterfinal demolition

Iga Świątek, seeded seventh in Toronto, needed just 64 minutes to dispatch 15th-seeded Diana Sznajder 6:2, 6:1 in their Monday quarterfinal at the WTA 1000 Canadian Open. The 25-year-old from Raszyn never faced a break point, converting five of her own break opportunities (two in the first set, three in the second, including in the final game). Świątek's rotated forehand repeatedly unsettled the Russian, who committed her ninth forehand unforced error by the seventh game and grew visibly frustrated. Sznajder's coach, Sascha Bajin, left the stands during the match.

The victory marks Świątek's 23rd career WTA 1000 semifinal. Only three players have reached more at that tier: Simona Halep (29), Serena Williams (26), and Victoria Azarenka (24). It is also her second Canadian Open semifinal; her first came in 2023 in Montreal, where she lost to Jessica Pegula, who went on to win the title.

Świątek's tournament path

Świątek, who received a first-round bye as a seed, opened in the second round against Sara Bejlek, surrendering only three games. She was equally dominant against Viktorija Golubic, again conceding just three games. The fourth round brought a stiffer test from Marta Kostiuk, who took the first set before Świątek responded with 6:1, 6:2 wins to close out the match.

After the Sznajder match, Świątek reflected on the windy conditions and her opponent's spin-heavy style.

Every quarterfinal is difficult and this one was too, especially considering the way she was spinning the balls and the conditions. It was very windy, so sometimes it was hard to find rhythm. I'm playing better in this tournament than in most others this season, I appreciate the opportunity to play another match on this stadium, I'm happy to be here.

Svitolina awaits in semifinal

Elina Svitolina, seeded ninth, reached the semifinal by defeating 16th-seeded Ekaterina Alexandrova 3:6, 6:0, 6:3 in one hour and 33 minutes. Alexandrova had eliminated world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in the previous round. After dropping the first set, Svitolina changed tactics, conceding no games in the second set and racing to a 5:1 lead in the decider.

The Ukrainian offered praise for her upcoming opponent.

Of course she is a great champion. She is playing really well in this tournament. I need to show my best tennis.

Svitolina also said she planned to rest on her day off and work with her team to adjust her game to Świątek's style.

Head-to-head and ranking stakes

Świątek leads the career head-to-head 4-3, but Svitolina won both of their 2026 meetings, each in three sets, at Indian Wells and Rome. The semifinal carries ranking implications: a Świątek win would move her to seventh in the WTA rankings, and a tournament title would lift her to fifth. A Svitolina victory would see the players swap positions, dropping Świątek to ninth.

The semifinal is scheduled for Thursday evening Toronto time, the night of Wednesday 12 August to Thursday in Polish time. The other half of the draw features quarterfinals between Coco Gauff and Belinda Bencic, and Naomi Osaka and Elena Rybakina.

Three other Polish players, Maja Chwalińska (seeded 18th), Magdalena Fręch, and Magda Linette, were eliminated in the second round.