Elena Rybakina has fully risen from a dip in form and health from a year and more ago. She is now WTA No. 2, with a real chance to reach No. 1 by the time the US Open is done in September. She needed to get past Ann Li in the Canadian Open to help her on her path, though.
Li is a good player who has a low ceiling. She moves well, but doesn't necessarily replicate shots well. She doesn't have elite power or elite return ability. Still, she can stay in matches beyond what most would expect simply because of her tenacity.
In the opening set, she struggled with her serve just enough to allow Rybakina to push through 6-2. In the second set, though, Li was much tougher. She kept holding and asking the formidable Rybakina questions on her own serve. The better player was the WTA No. 2, but the better player doesn't always win.
Elena Rybakina outlasts Ann Li at the 2026 Canadian Open
The difference between goodness and greatness is the ability to raise one's level at the most stressful of moments in a match. With Li serving in the second set at 5-all, Rybakina became more aggressive, and Li appeared more tentative, which gave Rybakina the slim advantage she needed to get the break. In the next game, she relatively easily held and served out the match.
Ann Li isn't the quality of player that Elena Rybakina is, and she never will be. She can still make matches difficult for high-end players through sheer willpower and powerful shots at times. She should be proud of how well she played, even if the score doesn't necessarily reflect the difficulty that Rybakina had, especially in the second set.
Next for Rybakina in the round of 16 at the Canadian Open will be the winner of the match between Maya Joint and Liudmila Samsonova. Rybakina will be the heavy favorite no matter who she plays.
Joint, many might remember, was the player who defeated Serena Williams in Williams' return to singles at Wimbledon. The Australian shouldn't be counted out before the match if she does indeed face Rybakina.
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