In a pulsating clash at the 2025 National Bank Open in Montreal, Elena Rybakina, the No. 9 seed and former Wimbledon champion, showcased her resilience to overcome Ukraine’s Dayana Yastremska in a thrilling 5-7, 6-2, 7-5 battle on August 2. The two-and-a-half-hour match, played under the electric atmosphere of IGA Stadium’s Centre Court, propelled Rybakina into the quarterfinals, where she will face another Ukrainian, Marta Kostyuk. Despite struggling with nine double faults, Rybakina’s powerful serve and steely composure in clutch moments secured her a hard-fought victory, marking her second Montreal quarterfinal appearance. “It’s a really important win. It was such a tough battle against Dayana,” Rybakina said post-match. “She played really well. Really happy that I won the match and just looking forward to the next one.” Her performance signals a resurgence as she aims to reclaim a top-10 ranking ahead of the US Open.
Rybakina, ranked world No. 12, entered the 2025 season with a 33-14 record but only one title, a WTA 250 in Strasbourg, where she defeated Liudmila Samsonova in May. Her campaign has been marred by injuries, including a back issue that sidelined her during the 2024 Asian swing and acute bronchitis that forced her withdrawal from the Paris Olympics. In Montreal, she arrived fresh from a Washington semifinal, where she fell to Leylah Fernandez, and breezed through her opening matches against Hailey Baptiste and Jaqueline Cristian without dropping a set. Against Cristian, she dominated the first set 6-0 in just 25 minutes before closing out a 7-6(5) tiebreak. Her match against Yastremska, however, tested her mettle. “I knew today it would be hard, and she’s playing high-level tennis,” Rybakina said of her opponent, who had upset No. 8 seed Emma Navarro 7-5, 6-4 in the previous round.
The round-of-16 encounter began with both players trading holds in a tightly contested first set. Yastremska, ranked No. 35, capitalized on Rybakina’s shaky serve, breaking in the 11th game to take the set 7-5 after 47 minutes. Rybakina’s three double faults in the final service game handed the Ukrainian the edge, but the Kazakh regrouped decisively in the second set. Breaking Yastremska twice, she surrendered just five points on serve, winning 76% of her service points and 52% on return to level the match 6-2. “Rybakina regroups to take the second set 6-2 over Yastremska,” the WTA noted, capturing her momentum shift. The third set was a rollercoaster, with both players exchanging breaks at 3-3. At 5-5, Yastremska faltered from a 30-0 lead, allowing Rybakina to break. Serving for the match, Rybakina faced a break point and squandered three match points before sealing the victory on her fourth with a composed volley, ending the set 7-5.
Rybakina’s serving prowess, despite her double faults, was a difference-maker. She fired seven aces, bringing her season total to 102 in WTA 1000 events, trailing only Karolina Pliskova and Serena Williams for consecutive years with 100+ aces since 2009. Her 63% first-serve rate and 70% win percentage on those points underscored her dominance, though Yastremska’s 25 unforced errors compared to Rybakina’s 19 tipped the scales. “She was the better player today,” Yastremska acknowledged, praising Rybakina’s ability to stay poised. The Ukrainian, with a 30-16 record in 2025, leaves Montreal on a high note after her Navarro upset, her best WTA 1000 showing since 2019.
Rybakina now faces Kostyuk, who battled past McCartney Kessler 5-7, 6-3, 6-3 in her round-of-16 match. Rybakina leads their head-to-head 2-1, including a straight-sets win in the 2024 Stuttgart final, but expects a fierce contest. “We played a couple of times. It’s always tough battle,” she said. “I will try to focus on myself. I know that she’s really fighter, and she’s really physically tough opponent.” With a projected ranking rise to No. 11, Rybakina is two wins from re-entering the top 10. Her 60th WTA 1000 hard-court win, achieved in just 84 matches, places her among elites like Iga Swiatek and Victoria Azarenka. As Montreal’s $5.15 million prize pool and star-studded field draw global attention, Rybakina’s gritty performance positions her as a contender, with the US Open on the horizon.
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