Elina Svitolina wins the way water wears down stone, a counterpuncher who runs everything down until frustration does the work. The first Ukrainian woman inside the world's top 10, she reached a career-high No. 3 in September 2017. She has gathered 20 tour titles, the finest at the 2018 WTA Finals, where she went through the field unbeaten. The majors stayed out of reach, though in 2019 she made the last four at both Wimbledon and the US Open.
Then the story changed shape. Svitolina gave birth to her daughter in October 2022 and returned in spring 2023 to a sport at war with her country's invader. Carrying the weight of playing for Ukraine, she reached the Wimbledon semi-finals within months of returning. Against heavier hitters like Petra Kvitova and Simona Halep she turns power into patience. The Grand Slam title has not come, and the reasons to chase it only grow.
One. That is how many titles Iga Swiatek has won in 2026, and Toronto is it, her first since Seoul last year. She beat Elena Rybakina, the world number two and the second seed, 6-2, 6-3 without losing a service game.
Match taleEight. That is how many places Alexandra Eala climbed in this week's WTA rankings, from No. 28 to a career-best No. 20, after she won the Washington title. She is the only player to enter the top 20 this week, on a list that also pushed three more names into the top 100.
Ranking tale