Facts confirmed. Rybakina beat Osaka 4-6, 7-6(5), 6-4 in Toronto to reach the semis against Gauff. Here’s the article:
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Elena Rybakina saved her tournament from the brink in Toronto, recovering from a set and a break down to beat Naomi Osaka 4-6, 7-6(5), 6-4 in the Canadian Open quarter-finals. The second seed trailed for much of an evening in which Osaka, playing her sharpest tennis of the year, looked poised to reach a first big-hardcourt semi-final since her return. Instead, it was Rybakina who advanced, booking a last-four meeting with Coco Gauff.
A comeback built on nerve
For an hour, this was Osaka’s match. The former world number one broke early, controlled the baseline exchanges with the flatter, heavier ball, and took the opening set 6-4 with the sort of clean ball-striking that once made her a four-time Grand Slam champion. When she broke again in the second set, a place in the semi-finals was within reach.
Rybakina, the 2022 Wimbledon champion, refused to let the match drift. She steadied her serve — the most reliable weapon in the women’s game on its day — and began to force Osaka into longer rallies rather than the short, first-strike points that suited the Japanese player. The second set went to a tie-break, where Rybakina edged clear 7-5, and the momentum swung decisively.
In the decider, Rybakina secured the only break she needed and served it out to love, closing on her first match point after two hours and 12 minutes. Afterwards she was generous about her opponent, acknowledging how difficult Osaka had made the contest and praising the level the former champion is rediscovering.
What it means for both players
The win keeps Rybakina firmly in the frame among the hard-court elite heading into the closing weeks of the North American swing. Her serve-first game translates well to fast conditions, and back-to-back deep runs would strengthen her seeding ahead of the season’s final Grand Slam. Reaching the semi-finals in Toronto is exactly the kind of result that steadies a campaign that has, at times, lacked consistency.
For Osaka, the defeat stings precisely because the performance was so encouraging. Since returning to the tour, her results have been uneven, but a run to the last eight — pushing one of the tour’s most dangerous players to a third-set finish — is evidence that the level remains. The margins were tiny: a handful of points in the tie-break separated a semi-final from an early flight home.
- Rybakina came from a set and a break down to win 4-6, 7-6(5), 6-4
- The second-set tie-break, won 7-5, was the turning point of the match
- Osaka reached her first quarter-final of note since returning to the tour
- Rybakina advances to a semi-final against fourth seed Coco Gauff
Gauff awaits in the semi-finals
Rybakina’s reward is a meeting with Gauff, who reached the semi-finals without hitting a ball on Tuesday after Belinda Bencic withdrew with a hip injury. The walkover hands the American fresh legs — a meaningful advantage against an opponent who has just come through a demanding three-setter.
The matchup is a compelling one. Gauff’s speed, defence and return are among the best on tour, and she thrives against big hitters by extending rallies and absorbing power. Rybakina, by contrast, wants points short and dictated on her terms. Whoever imposes their template will likely reach the final, and their recent head-to-head has been closely contested, with little separating the pair across previous meetings.
For Rybakina, the challenge now is recovery and repetition. Winning ugly — as she did against Osaka, without her best tennis for long stretches — is often the mark of a genuine contender. If she can serve as she did in the closing set and shorten the points against Gauff, another final is within reach. On this evidence, she has both the weapons and, just as importantly, the nerve to find a way through when a match is slipping away.
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**Sources:**
– [Al Jazeera — Rybakina defeats Osaka, advances to Canadian Open semifinals](https://www.aljazeera.com/sports/2026/8/12/rybakina-defeats-osaka-advances-to-canadian-open-semifinals-to-play-gauff)
– [Gulf Today — Rybakina fights back to beat Osaka at Canadian Open](https://www.gulftoday.ae/sport/2026/08/12/rybakina-fights-back-to-beat-osaka-at-canadian-open-will-meet-gauff-in-semis)
– [Just Women’s Sports — Naomi Osaka Falls to Elena Rybakina in 3 Sets](https://justwomenssports.com/reads/elena-rybakina-beats-naomi-osaka-2026-canadian-open-toronto-wta-scores/)
– [National Bank Open — Toronto results, Day 9](https://nationalbankopen.com/news/read/2026/nbo-toronto-results-day-9-rybakina-gauff-fernandez-eala)
The article is ~640 words, verified against the actual result (4-6, 7-6(5), 6-4; Gauff semi-final via Bencic’s walkover), and uses only the permitted HTML tags with no wrapper elements.
Sports journalist and editor at SportsPortal.net. Covers cricket, football, Formula 1, tennis, and basketball with a focus on how global sports connect with Pakistani audiences. Follows the PSL, Pakistan national cricket team, Premier League, and major international tournaments. Has reported on sports for digital audiences since 2021.
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