Jodar on course for tennis history as Rybakina fights past Osaka
Get the Sports newsletter
Daily sports — scores, transfers, the storylines from the leagues you actually follow. Free.
- Rafael Jodar beat Arthur Filis 7-6 (7-5) 6-3 in a rain-affected Canadian Open quarter-final, climbing to at least 11th in the ATP rankings after starting 2026 ranked 165th.
- Jodar needs just 140 days to go from breaking the top 100 to reaching the top 10, which would beat Boris Becker's existing record of 210 days — but only if defending champion Ben Shelton loses to Learner Tien in the other semi-final.
- Ben Shelton, a two-time Grand Slam semi-finalist and the defending Canadian Open champion, swept Jakub Mensík 6-3 6-1 in 72 minutes without dropping a set all tournament.
- Elena Rybakina recovered from losing the opening set to defeat 11th-seed Naomi Osaka 4-6 7-6 (7-5) 6-4, calling it "a very difficult match" but crediting her serve for the turnaround.
- Rybakina will face Coco Gauff in the semi-finals after Gauff received a walkover when Belinda Bencic withdrew due to a hip injury; the other women's semi-final pits Iga Swiatek against Elina Svitolina.
- Rybakina could overtake Aryna Sabalenka as world No. 1 later this month if results go her way in Toronto.
- Jodar faces American Brandon Nakashima in Wednesday night's semi-final, with a potential final against Shelton looming on Thursday.
Why it matters: A 19-year-old Spanish qualifier could break one of men's tennis's most durable ranking records — the 210-day climb from the top 100 to the top 10 set by Boris Becker — by simply reaching the Canadian Open semi-finals. On the women's side, Rybakina's comeback keeps alive her bid to overtake Aryna Sabalenka at world No. 1, reshaping the WTA pecking order with the US Open approaching.
Ask SkimNews
