The National Bank Open delivered another shock as Denmark’s Clara Tauson knocked out Wimbledon champion Iga Swiatek, while Naomi Osaka reminded the tennis world of her brilliance with a commanding win to reach the quarter-finals.
Tauson, who had fallen to Swiatek at Wimbledon just weeks earlier, produced a fearless display to claim a 7-6 (7-1), 6-3 victory, avenging that previous defeat in emphatic fashion. In swirling winds and tricky conditions, Tauson maintained her composure, outlasting the world No. 2 in key moments. “It was tough to play with the wind, but I stayed calm and focused,” Tauson said after the match. “Even after losing my serve in the second set, I felt confident and kept pushing.”
Swiatek, who had been in imperious form at Wimbledon, struggled to find her rhythm against the determined Dane. The Polish star managed just one point in the first-set tiebreak—off a Tauson double fault—and was broken early in the second. Although Swiatek clawed back to 4-3, Tauson immediately broke again and served out the match to secure her spot in the last eight, where she will face Madison Keys.
Keys had her own battle to contend with, saving two match points in a thrilling 4-6, 6-3, 7-5 victory over Karolina Muchova. The American is seeking her second major title of the season, having lifted her first Grand Slam trophy at the Australian Open earlier this year.
Meanwhile, Naomi Osaka served a timely reminder of her championship pedigree with a ruthless 6-1, 6-0 demolition of Anastasija Sevastova. The four-time Grand Slam winner needed less than 50 minutes to secure her quarter-final berth — her first appearance in the last eight of a WTA 1000 event since Doha in 2024.
Osaka credited her resurgence to a new coaching partnership with Tomasz Wiktorowski, the former mentor of Swiatek. Having recently split from Patrick Mouratoglou, Osaka appears to have rediscovered her clarity and focus. “I had a solid plan today, and I executed it well,” she said. Osaka now faces Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina, who comfortably dispatched Wimbledon finalist Amanda Anisimova 6-4, 6-1.
The women’s draw has been full of surprises this week. Swiatek’s exit follows Coco Gauff’s shock defeat to 17-year-old Canadian Victoria Mboko, signaling a wave of fresh faces making their mark ahead of the US Open later this month.
In the men’s draw, action shifted to Toronto, where Ben Shelton staged a remarkable comeback to edge past Italy’s Flavio Cobolli 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (7-1). After falling a break behind in the final set, Shelton dug deep to force a tiebreak and finished strong. “I was struggling for most of the third set, but I found a way to stay in the fight,” Shelton said.
Next up for Shelton is Australia’s Alex de Minaur, who overcame Frances Tiafoe in a tight 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 contest. Andrey Rublev also advanced after Alejandro Davidovich Fokina was forced to retire with an injury during the third set of their match.
Taylor Fritz capped the day’s action with a nail-biting three-set victory over Czech Jiri Lehecka. Fritz, the tournament’s second seed, prevailed 7-6 (7-4), 6-7 (5-7), 7-6 (7-5) in a late-night thriller, ensuring his place in the quarter-finals of every Masters 1000 event this year.
As the hardcourt season builds towards its crescendo at the US Open, the upsets and standout performances in Montreal and Toronto are setting the stage for a thrilling conclusion. Tennis fans can follow every match live on Sky Sports Tennis, Sky Sports+, and NOW from August 24.
