Sabalenka Beats Uchijima 6-3, 6-3 to Open WTA Toronto Run

World number one Aryna Sabalenka returned to hard courts with a composed 6-3, 6-3 victory over Japanese qualifier Moyuka Uchijima in the WTA 1000 in Toronto on Tuesday, moving into the third round and continuing a dominant run on the surface this season.

The Belarusian, looking to rebound after a quarter-final exit at Roland Garros and a round-of-16 loss at Wimbledon, improved her hard-court record this year to 24 wins in 25 matches. Her only defeat on the surface in 2026 came in the Australian Open final against Elena Rybakina.

After the match, Sabalenka said she was pleased with how she handled the challenge following a break from competition, noting she was ready for the mental and physical demands of the opener.

How Sabalenka turned the match after an early break

Uchijima, ranked 111th, made an immediate impression by breaking in the opening game. She clawed back from 40-15 down and surged to a quick 2-0 lead, forcing Sabalenka to respond early.

Sabalenka did exactly that, reeling off the next five games to seize control of the first set. After flipping the momentum with that run, she closed the set out with a confident hold of serve for 6-3.

The second set proved more complicated. The set opened with a flurry of service breaks, with five breaks in total during the early games. Sabalenka navigated the exchange to edge ahead 3-2, a key moment that allowed her to finally establish separation.

From there, she consolidated with a hold for 4-2 and kept her advantage intact. When the chance came to serve out the match, Sabalenka took it, sealing the win on her second match point with an overhead winner to complete a straight-sets opener.

Next, Sabalenka will face China’s Zhang Shuai in the third round. Zhang advanced after Jelena Ostapenko retired while trailing 6-0, 4-0.

Hard-court momentum and the North American swing

The Toronto start also fits into a broader hard-court stretch for Sabalenka, who is eyeing a North American run that could culminate at the US Open, which begins on August 30 in New York. With her 24th hard-court win in 25 matches this year, her form on the surface remains a central storyline as the season heads toward the final Grand Slam.

Swiatek, Svitolina and Kostyuk among seeds to advance

Former world number one Iga Swiatek also moved into the third round, beating Sara Bejlek 6-0, 6-3. Swiatek, seeded seventh, looked in complete control early, winning the first nine games and building a double-break lead at 3-0 in the second set.

Bejlek disrupted Swiatek’s rhythm by winning two straight games, but Swiatek steadied herself in a pivotal sixth game. She held for 4-2 after fending off nine break points in a 22-minute game, later saying the match became “pretty physical” toward the end.

Swiatek will next play Switzerland’s Viktorija Golubic, who beat Croatia’s Donna Vekic 5-7, 6-2, 6-3.

Ninth-seeded Ukrainian Elina Svitolina produced a comeback to defeat Spain’s Jessica Bouzas Maneiro 6-7 (5/7), 7-6 (7/4), 6-4 after being down a set and a break.

10th-seeded Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk also advanced, beating Canadian wild card Katherine Sebov 7-6 (7/4), 6-0. Kostyuk had trailed 4-1 in the first set after being broken twice, but recovered to take the tiebreak and then ran away with the second set. She is set to face former Australian Open champion Madison Keys next.

Elsewhere, eighth-seeded American Amanda Anisimova reached the third round by walkover after Thailand’s Lanlana Tararudee withdrew due to illness.