Day four at WTA Toronto promises plenty of entertaining tennis, with two-time champion Jessica Pegula set to be in action. As always, we here at LWOT will be offering our predictions for every match on the slate. But who will book their spot in the third round?
WTA Toronto Day 4 Predictions
Ann Li vs Kayla Cross
Head–to–Head: First Meeting
Ann Li heads into her Toronto opener under pressure after a first-round exit to Magda Linette in Washington, with the seeded American still searching for hard-court consistency in 2026 after just six wins from 16 matches this season. Standing in her way is home favorite Kayla Cross, who is riding the momentum of her maiden WTA main-draw victory in a gritty 7-6 (3), 7-5 upset of former British #1 Katie Boulter. With Li still hunting for her best form outside a Strasbourg semi-final run and Cross fresh off delighting the Toronto crowd, this has the makings of a lively contrast in styles and momentum and an upset.
Prediction: Cross in 3
Elise Mertens vs Anna Bondar
Head–to–Head: Mertens 1 – 0 Bondar
Elise Mertens arrives in Toronto riding the confidence of her deepest Grand Slam run since the 2020 US Open, where she reached the quarterfinals before bowing out to eventual champion Linda Noskova in what was comfortably her best form of the season. She’ll need to be sharp against a red-hot Anna Bondar, who’s fresh off a third straight final in Hamburg and has won five of her last six matches, including a gritty comeback over Anhelina Kalinina where she overturned breaks in both sets to win 6-4, 7-5. The pair last met four years ago in the first round of this very event, with Mertens cruising through in straight sets, and on current trajectories, a repeat scoreline wouldn’t shock anyone, though Bondar’s momentum makes this far from a formality.
Prediction: Mertens in 2
Emma Navarro vs Alina Korneeva
Head–to–Head: First Meeting
Emma Navarro heads into this one playing the best tennis of her season after a rocky start that saw her fall in nine of 13 matches. Alina Korneeva arrives in decent form of her own, having cruised past Polina Kudermetova on a retirement, but she’s yet to prove she can trouble the tour’s more seasoned names on this big a stage. Navarro’s semi-final pedigree here two years ago, paired with her red-hot summer form, should be enough to see her through, so expect the American to test the 19-year-old’s return game early and pull away comfortably.
Prediction: Navarro in 2
Alycia Parks vs Alexandra Eala
Head–to–Head: Parks 1 – 0 Eala
Alycia Parks survived a wobble to see off Victoria Jiménez Kasintseva 6-4 6-4 in Toronto, letting a 5-1 second-set lead slip before finally closing it out, but the reward is a daunting second-round test against Alexandra Eala, who arrives fresh off the biggest title of her career in Washington, where she toppled Pegula, Fernández, Osaka and Svitolina en route to cracking the world’s top 20. Parks does hold the head-to-head edge, having rallied from a set down to beat Eala in Melbourne earlier this year, and the Filipino’s rapid turnaround from a rain-hit, two-day final is a genuine question mark, but on current form and confidence, Eala has to be the favourite to advance.
Prediction: Eala in 2
Jessica Pegula vs Magdalena Frech
Head–to–Head: Pegula 4 – 0 Frech
Jessica Pegula heads into this one still stinging from that stunning Washington final collapse to Alexandra Eala after a rain-delayed classic she led before watching it slip away 4-6 6-4 6-0, but the world # 3 has too much recent momentum to write off and a perfect 4-0 head-to-head over Magdalena Frech, including a comeback win over the very same opponent just last week.
Frech, for her part, arrives battle-tested after grinding out a win in the opener and will fancy her chances of an upset against a Pegula who’s barely had time to catch her breath.
Expect Pegula’s consistency and big-match pedigree to edge out Frech’s scrappy resilience, but on the back of a quick turnaround, this one won’t be as straightforward as the head-to-head suggests.
Prediction: Frech in 3
Main Photo Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images
