Coco Gauff and Iga Świątek have ramped up their preparations for the 2026 Canadian Open, with both players on the hunt for their first title of the season. Ahead of their opening matches at the WTA 1000 event in Toronto, Gauff and Świątek shared a friendly conversation during their practice session at the venue.
Coco Gauff and Iga Świątek Gear Up for the Canadian Open
Gauff and Świątek experienced contrasting fortunes at the Wimbledon Championships. While Świątek’s title defense ended in a straight-set loss to Alexandra Eala in the third round, the American made a career breakthrough by reaching the semifinals of the grass-court Major for the first time.
After enjoying a brief break, both players have arrived in Toronto to kick off their North American hardcourt swing at the Canadian Open. They will each be looking to win their maiden title at the WTA 1000 event.
Ahead of their opening matches, Gauff and Świątek were captured sharing a lighthearted moment during their practice session at Sobeys Stadium.
Practice neighbors:
Coco Gauff chats with Team Swiatek in Toronto. pic.twitter.com/DdvK9NKEfm
— Jimmie48 Photography (@JJlovesTennis) August 4, 2026
The two were also seen practicing side by side as they prepare to begin their campaigns in the second round, having received first-round byes.
Gavin lwk made coco’s serve pretty pleasing to look at woah pic.twitter.com/BiYjQFaXwi
— 🦊🪩! (@yoncegauff) August 4, 2026
The Canadian Open has already been disrupted by rain, with several first-round matches being postponed due to inclement weather. Both Gauff and Świątek spoke about the difficulty of navigating rain delays after arriving in Toronto.
During her pre-tournament press conference, Gauff explained that the biggest challenge is finding the right balance between staying warm and avoiding unnecessary fatigue.
“Honestly, it’s difficult, I have no recipe for it. I think that the main thing is just making sure that, it’s weird, because you have to preserve your energy because you don’t know how long the day can be, but also you want to stay warm. So it’s like trying to find that balance of staying warm, but also not trying to get tired,” Gauff said.
Świątek echoed the world No. 4’s sentiments, emphasizing that managing one’s energy levels is crucial during lengthy delays in order to avoid burnout.
“Well, it’s good not to like constantly be on your toes and, like, if you know you’re not going to play in next two, three hours, you need to spend this time relaxing,” Świątek said. “If you’re constantly going to have that adrenaline before the match, you know, it’s probably going to burn out before you start.”
“So you need to just keep your energy on the proper level and then get pumped up right before. Yeah, but, honestly, we get them less and less because most of the stadiums now are covered anyway. Unless you play on the outside courts, then probably you get that more,” she added.
No. 4 seed Coco Gauff is set to kick off her Canadian Open campaign against qualifier Kayla Day in the second round. Meanwhile, No. 7 seed Iga Świątek will lock horns with Sára Bejlek in her opening match at the WTA 1000 event.
