Coco Gauff secured her spot in the quarterfinals of the 2026 Canadian Open with a commanding victory over Russian qualifier Alina Korneeva. The No. 4 seed dominated the match in Toronto on Sunday, winning 6-3, 6-1 by breaking early and maintaining control from the baseline. This marks Gauff’s first return to the last eight in Canada since 2023, and notably, she has yet to drop a set in this year’s event.
Coco Gauff Cruises Past Alina Korneeva, Draws Bencic in Toronto Quarterfinals
Gauff’s upcoming opponent will be No. 12 seed Belinda Bencic, who advanced after a decisive 6-4, 6-0 victory against No. 20 Alexandra Eala in a 73-minute match. Reflecting on her approach during the win over Korneeva, Gauff remarked, “My main focus today was let me try and close it out. Probably not the way I should be thinking but it worked today.”
The tournament’s top half of the draw featured a thrilling encounter as World No. 2 Elena Rybakina staged a remarkable comeback against Liudmila Samsonova. Facing a 0-3 deficit and two breaks down in the deciding set, Rybakina fought back to claim a 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 victory, narrowly avoiding elimination.
This hard-fought win sets Rybakina up for a quarterfinal clash with former No. 1 and four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka. Ranked No. 13, Osaka advanced by defeating Canadian Leylah Fernandez 6-4, 6-4, breaking serve in the seventh game of each set to secure her place in the next round.