Iga Swiatek says Ariana Grande helped her win matches at the Canadian Open.
Six-time Grand Slam winner Iga Swiatek recently shared a fun reason behind her win over Marta Kostyuk at the Canadian Open. Swiatek, who claimed the Wimbledon title in 2025, beat Ukraine’s Kostyuk with a strong finish, coming back from a first-set loss to win 3-6, 6-2, 6-1.
Swiatek broke Kostyuk’s serve seven times out of 15 chances and even won five games in a row, booking her spot in the quarter-finals against Diana Shnaider. After a tough loss to Alex Eala in the third round of Wimbledon, Swiatek dropped to number eight in the WTA rankings following a short break from tennis. Now, at 25, she’s back on the court and getting ready for the US Open, the final Grand Slam of the year starting later this month.
She was one of the first players to arrive in Toronto and revealed she got there early because she went to an Ariana Grande concert in Boston and had some free time afterward. Swiatek said arriving early helped her adjust to Canada’s weather and playing conditions. “I came early because I went to Ariana Grande’s show in Boston, and I had nothing else to do,” she said. “Getting used to the jet lag and different weather—rainy days, dry days, sunny days—really helped me feel ready for anything during the matches.”
After the first set against Kostyuk, Swiatek also got some helpful advice from her coaches. “I got a few tactical tips, and that really helped me improve,” she said. “Sometimes when you’re playing, you don’t see everything, so having a different viewpoint makes a big difference.”
Along with Swiatek and Shnaider, ninth-seeded Elina Svitolina and 16th-seeded Ekaterina Alexandrova have also reached the quarter-finals. Alexandrova surprised everyone with a three-set win over top seed Aryna Sabalenka, who will stay world number one no matter what happens in Toronto.
Tonight, Alex Eala and Coco Gauff will both play in the evening matches, with Eala’s game starting around 9 p.m. local time. If they both win, they’ll face off in the quarter-finals after beating Belinda Bencic and Alina Korneeva.