For the first time in three years, World No. 4 Coco Gauff  is back into the quarterfinals at the National Bank Open in Canada.

With a 6-3, 6-1 win over teenage qualifier Alina Korneeva, Gauff secured her spot in the final eight in Toronto.

After debuting at the event in Montreal 2021, Gauff had a string of three consecutive quarterfinal appearances from 2021-23, but for the past two years, the Round of 16 had been the barrier she couldn’t pass. 

The win moves Gauff into her seventh WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz quarterfinal of 2026 and her 25th career WTA 1000 quarterfinal.

Belinda Bencic, the former champion and No 12 seed returned to the quarterfinals of the for the third time in Toronto and the fourth time overall, including one quarterfinal appearance in Montreal, after ending Alexandra Eala’s seven-match winning streak in straight sets on Sunday night.

In the first meeting on the WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz between the pair, Bencic took control in the ninth game of the opening set, breaking serve before holding to close it out 6-4. She then swept aside Eala in the second set without dropping a game to complete a 6-4, 6-0 victory in 1 hour, 13 minutes.