Preview Canadian Open WTA Quarter-Finals: Victoria Mboko’s shocker, Naomi Osaka’s surge, and Elena Rybakina light up Canada

Kostyuk’s mixture of aggressive counter-punching and slick movement frustrated Kessler and will be key to blunting Rybakina’s flat, powerful strokes. Their head-to-head is dead even at 2-2, with Rybakina winning their last two meetings convincingly in straight sets, 6-2, 6-2 in Stuttgart’s 2024 final and 6-2, 6-1 in the 2023 US Open first round.

Still, based on recent form, firepower, and their last two meetings, Rybakina enters this quarter-final as the firm favorite. If Kostyuk brings her very best and Rybakina dips even slightly, this one could turn fast.

Match Info: Marta Kostyuk - Elena Rybakina

Start time (local): Mon, 4 Aug, 6:00 PM

Start time (your time): Tue, 5 Aug, 6:00 AM

Court: Court Central

Tournament: Omnium Banque Nationale présenté par Rogers

Round: Quarterfinal

Head-to-Head

Victoria Mboko vs. Jessica Bouzas Maneiro

Victoria Mboko has turned her home tournament into a personal coming-out party. The 18-year-old Canadian wildcard made global headlines after destroying number 1 seed and reigning US Open champion Coco Gauff in a stunning straight-sets upset, 6-1, 6-4. From the first rally, Mboko showed nerves of steel, striking six aces and blasting forehands that pinned Gauff deep behind the baseline. The Canadian teenager also handled the pressure of the hometown crowd like a seasoned star, converting three of five break points while saving all five she faced.

Her opponent, Jessica Bouzas Maneiro, is also scripting her own Cinderella story. The 22-year-old Spaniard, ranked outside the Top 50 at the start of the year, came through a three-set scrap against Lin Zhu, winning 7-5, 1-6, 6-2 in a match that tested her mental fortitude as much as her tennis.

The two have never faced each other before at tour level, adding another layer of intrigue. Mboko will bring raucous crowd support and an aggressive, first-strike mindset. Bouzas will counter with her heavy topspin, point construction, and resilience under pressure.

With both players in uncharted territory, expect momentum swings and a match decided by who can handle the bright lights of the Canadian night best.

Match Info: Victoria Mboko - Jessica Bouzas Maneiro

Start time (local): Mon, 4 Aug, 7:10 PM

Start time (your time): Tue, 5 Aug, 7:10 AM

Court: Court Central

Tournament: Omnium Banque Nationale présenté par Rogers

Round: Quarterfinal

Head-to-Head

Elina Svitolina vs Naomi Osaka

A day later, the Canadian Open features a blockbuster quarter-final that reads like a Grand Slam semi-final. Elina Svitolina and Naomi Osaka, two of the most recognizable names in women’s tennis, will clash in what promises to be an enthralling encounter.

Svitolina booked her spot with a commanding 6-4, 6-1 win over Amanda Anisimova. She has now recorded four Top 10 wins this season, a clear sign she is regaining the confidence and consistency that once made her one of the most feared players on tour. The Ukrainian has combined her trademark defensive skills with a more aggressive mindset, flattening out her groundstrokes to dictate rallies instead of merely counterpunching. That evolution has been critical to her success on faster courts.

Meanwhile, Naomi Osaka is looking like the Osaka of old. The four-time Grand Slam champion thrashed Anastasija Sevastova 6-1, 6-0 in a ruthless display of power tennis. Osaka’s serve was untouchable; she won over 72% of first-serve points, and her forehand was finding corners at will.

Importantly, she is moving better than she has since returning from maternity leave, which is allowing her to cover the baseline and turn defence into offence seamlessly. Their rivalry is tightly contested. Osaka leads the head-to-head 4-3, with their most recent encounter came in March 2024, where Osaka defeated Svitolina 6-2, 7-6 in Miami.

Ultimately, this is a pick’em, a compelling contrast between fire and finesse, resurgence and resilience. One is rising again, the other refusing to fade.

Match Info: Elina Svitolina - Naomi Osaka

Start time (local): Not scheduled yet

Start time (your time): Not scheduled yet

Tournament: Omnium Banque Nationale présenté par Rogers

Round: Quarterfinal

Head-to-Head

Clara Tauson vs. Madison Keys

Clara Tauson’s Toronto run has gone from promising to electrifying. The 21-year-old Dane pulled off what might be the shock of the season: defeating former World No. 1 Iga Swiatek in straight sets, 7-6(1), 6-3, a result that stunned the tennis world and firmly placed her in the spotlight.

Her fearless shot-making, particularly on the backhand wing, and refusal to back down from the baseline was a masterclass in power tennis under pressure.

She now faces Madison Keys, the No. 6 seed, who had to dig deep in a dramatic three-set battle against Karolina Muchova. Keys dropped the first set but clawed back to win 4-6, 6-3, 7-5, saving two match points at 4–5 in the deciding set.

It was a vintage Keys comeback, built on clutch serving, gutsy shot selection, and unwavering belief. The victory marks her eighth quarterfinal of the season, and her first in Canada since 2016.

This is not their first encounter this year, far from it. The pair met earlier in January at the WTA 250 in Auckland, where Tauson beat Keys in straight sets, 6-4, 7-6, in the quarterfinals. That win will give the Dane a mental edge heading into this rematch, especially considering how composed she was in the pressure moments then.

All in all, it is youth versus experience and whoever finds their range first may very well book a semifinal ticket, and announce themselves as a serious US Open contender.

Match Info: Madison Keys - Clara Tauson

Start time (local): Not scheduled yet

Start time (your time): Not scheduled yet

Tournament: Omnium Banque Nationale présenté par Rogers

Round: Quarterfinal

Head-to-Head