In a gripping battle at the WTA 1000 National Bank Open in Montreal, Elena Rybakina, the former Wimbledon champion, clawed her way into the quarterfinals with a hard-fought victory over Ukraine’s No. 30 seed, Dayana Yastremska. The match, a rollercoaster of momentum swings, ended with Rybakina prevailing 5-7, 6-2, 7-5 in just over two and a half hours, setting up a high-stakes clash with Marta Kostyuk. The win showcased Rybakina’s resilience, as she overcame nine double faults and a series of missed opportunities to secure her place in the last eight of the tournament.
The match began with Rybakina asserting early dominance, breaking Yastremska to lead 4-3 in the first set. However, the Kazakh star faltered under pressure, allowing Yastremska to storm back and claim the opener 7-5. “I was up by a break and led 4-3 before collapsing,” Rybakina reflected post-match, acknowledging the challenge of maintaining her edge against the tenacious Ukrainian. Yastremska, fresh off an upset win over No. 8 seed Emma Navarro, brought the same fearless energy that saw her defeat Coco Gauff at Wimbledon earlier in 2025, making her a formidable opponent.
Undeterred, Rybakina regrouped in the second set, finding her rhythm and capitalizing on Yastremska’s errors. With two breaks of serve, she leveled the match at 6-2, showcasing the powerful groundstrokes and blistering serve—clocked routinely in the mid-120 mph range—that have made her one of the WTA’s most feared players. “After dropping the first set in a painful way, I knew I had to be more convincing,” Rybakina said, highlighting her determination to reset mentally. Her performance in the second set was a testament to her ability to adapt, as she leaned on her experience as the 2022 Wimbledon champion and a two-time WTA 1000 titleholder in 2023.
The deciding set was a tense affair, with both players trading blows. Rybakina secured an early break to lead 3-2, but Yastremska’s relentless fightback leveled the score at 3-3. The Kazakh faced further drama in the 12th game, squandering three match points and fending off a break point before sealing the victory with a high backhand volley on her fourth match point. “It was another tight contest and a hard day at the office,” Rybakina admitted, emphasizing the mental fortitude required to close out the match. Her ability to stay composed under pressure was crucial, especially given her history of tight losses, including a recent semifinal defeat in Washington where she let a lead slip against Leylah Fernandez.
Rybakina’s journey to the Montreal quarterfinals marks a significant step in her 2025 campaign, which has been marred by injuries and withdrawals, including a back injury that sidelined her for the Asian swing and a second-round exit at the US Open. Despite these setbacks, her performance in Montreal, where she previously reached the semifinals in 2023, signals a return to form. With a career-high ranking of No. 3 and a tour-leading 363 aces in 2023, Rybakina remains a force on hard courts, where her 18-3 record against players outside the Top 50 this year underscores her dominance.
As Rybakina prepares to face Kostyuk, who battled back to defeat McCartney Kessler 5-7, 6-3, 6-3, she remains focused on refining her game. “I have to see how I feel and evaluate the small injuries,” she noted, hinting at the physical toll of her grueling schedule. For now, her Montreal run offers a glimpse of the brilliance that saw her win titles in Brisbane, Abu Dhabi, and Strasbourg earlier in 2025, setting the stage for a potential deep run as she eyes the upcoming US Open.
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