If 2026 has brought Iga Swiatek anything, it’s early exits, disappointing results, and the loss of her No. 2 ranking. Just when she was trying to find her footing, a renowned psychologist even called her “stupid and scared.” But when critics began writing her off as stuck in a slump, Swiatek had other plans. She stormed to the National Bank Open title and answered her doubters the best way she knows how: on court.

After ending a title drought that stretched almost a full year, she made it clear who she wanted to speak to. The seventh seed beat Elena Rybakina 6-2, 6-3 in the National Bank Open final in Toronto, and used the moment to respond directly to a stretch of criticism she has received this season.

“I’m really happy about this tournament. It means so so much to me,” Swiatek said. “These past months were not easy. I’m really happy I kept focusing on growing, changing my game a little bit, improving, despite all the opinions many people have about me every day on the internet. It’s not easy to deal with all of that. I’m happy the reality is different. The reality is that I have people that know me so well and people that support me. They’re here to give their best work. Just keep pushing, you know.” And then, she called out all her haters and shared a heartwarming message with everyone who’s dealing with criticism.

“I want to dedicate this title to anyone who’s dealing with unfair judgement and hate. Just keep pushing and keep growing. Keep focusing on yourself. You know what’s best for you, always remember what’s ahead and what might be possible,” she added. 

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The scrutiny Swiatek faced during her slide to world No. 8, the lowest ranking point in the last 53 months, was genuinely intense. In fact, a psychologist in Poland criticized Swiatek in a podcast and said, “She’s [Iga] emerged as such a star and has portrayed herself as such a thoughtful, mature, and intelligent girl. But she’s probably just stupid and scared. She doesn’t understand what’s happening.”

Pundits also had their say, with Chris Evert, Tim Henman and Anne Keothavong all giving on-air reactions following her exit in the fourth round of the French Open to Marta Kostyuk, with Keothavong describing it as a “total collapse” and Henman pointing to a lack of awareness in her own game. Against that backdrop, a straight-sets win in a final carries weight well beyond the trophy itself. 

The title was Swiatek’s 26th career WTA title and 12th at the WTA 1000 level. She moved past Aryna Sabalenka’s 11 for second-most since the format was introduced in 2009, and only behind Serena Williams’ 13. The win also flipped her head-to-head with Rybakina to 7-6 in her favor, snapping a two-match losing skid against the Kazakh that stretched back through last November’s WTA Finals and this year’s Australian Open.

It even marked Swiatek’s first title working with new coach Francisco Roig, Rafael Nadal’s long-time mentor, though Roig himself was not courtside to see it, having already departed for Cincinnati ahead of the pair’s next tournament. The win will lift Swiatek from world No. 8 to No. 5 when the rankings update.

Meanwhile, Rybakina had her own explanation for the lopsided scoreline, and it had nothing to do with anything Swiatek did.

Rybakina reflects on fatigue as she heads to Cincinnati

Rybakina had a grueling week with a flattering ending. She admitted that her marathon semifinal against Coco Gauff consumed every inch of energy that was left in her, as she had already played three matches that were concluded in the decider. By the time the final arrived, the fatigue caught up with her. 

“I didn’t have much energy. I was just very tired. You could see that I wasn’t pushing with the legs enough. There was a lot of unforced errors, especially on top of the net. It was just pure lack of concentration. Even on those kind of easy balls too,” she said. 

“Iga, she’s a tough opponent, and she was trying to get all the balls back, of course. It was difficult for me today, and I just hope that I take all the lessons and somehow next time going to do better,” Rybakina added. 

The Kazakh also reflected positively on how she had managed her scheduling across the tournament compared to past events, having played matches at every hour of the day. “This time I actually did better with the scheduling, because I was playing a lot of matches in the morning, during the day, then at night. I think that this also is a big difference, and this time compared to other tournaments I did a bit better.”

Both players now head to Cincinnati, where they are placed in the same bottom quarter, setting up a potential quarterfinal between them. The former world No. 1 arrives as the defending champion, having defeated Jasmine Paolini in last year’s final, while Rybakina will be aiming to get her redemption from last year’s semifinal exit against the Pole and the Canadian Open final. The Kazakh even has a shot to dethrone Sabalenka from the world No. 1 position. 

Swiatek can start her Cincinnati campaign by facing Venus Williams in the second round if the 44-year-old manages to win her first-round match against Emiliana Arango. The world No. 2 is confirmed to face Taylor Townsend in her opening match in Ohio.