TOKYO — Leylah Fernandez extended her strong late-season run on Saturday, 31 October 2026, beating Kamilla Rakhimova 7-5, 6-3 to reach the Pan Pacific Open final in Tokyo, where she will face Diana Shnaider on Sunday. The Canadian, 24, is chasing a second title of the season after a run that has already taken her to a second consecutive final.
Fernandez reached the semi-finals without playing her quarter-final, after world number one Elena Rybakina withdrew with a neck injury. She then found a way past Rakhimova in straight sets on Saturday, and afterwards pointed to her composure in the difficult moments. According to Reuters, she said: "I'm proud of my mental fortitude. These aren't easy matches so I'm happy that I was able to find solutions and stay calm in tough moments."
Illustration: A tennis player serving on a hard court in a large arena — an artist's impression, not a photograph of the match.
What Happened
Fernandez beat Rakhimova, of Uzbekistan, 7-5, 6-3 on Saturday to book her place in the final of the WTA 500 tournament in Tokyo. The win continued a productive autumn for the Canadian, who finished runner-up to Rybakina in Ningbo last week and won her first title of the season in Singapore in September, according to Reuters.
Her opponent on Sunday will be third seed Diana Shnaider, of Russia, who booked her place in the final with a 6-4, 7-6(7) victory over Slovak teenager Mia Pohankova. Shnaider is chasing her first title of the season, Reuters reported, and her path to the final has already tested her resolve.
On Friday, Shnaider rallied from a set down to beat Alexandra Eala of the Philippines 2-6, 7-6(5), 6-4 in a quarter-final that lasted two hours and 52 minutes. The pair combined for 88 winners and saved a combined 16 of 19 break points, according to the Reuters roundup of the match, and Shnaider seized the lead by breaking Eala's serve in the third game of the deciding set. Only two of Shnaider's 27 unforced errors came in the third set, a sign of how cleanly she closed out a match that had looked to be slipping away.
Pohankova, meanwhile, had reached the semi-finals by beating Alycia Parks 7-6(3), 6-3, while Rakhimova had outlasted Maya Joint of Australia 7-5, 5-7, 6-1 to set up her semi-final against Fernandez. The Saturday results therefore paired two players in form — Fernandez, fresh from a final in Ningbo, and Shnaider, fresh from a comeback win — for a final neither will want to lose.
Background
The Pan Pacific Open, also known as the Toray Pan Pacific Open, is one of the longest-running events on the women's tour in Asia, and its Tokyo setting has regularly produced late-season turning points. For players chasing ranking points, confidence or a place at the season-ending WTA Finals, the autumn swing through Asia can reshape a year in a matter of weeks.
Fernandez knows that feeling well. The Canadian first came to wide attention as a teenager, and she has built her reputation on movement, court craft and composure in tight matches rather than on overwhelming power. Her recent results fit that pattern: a title in Singapore in September, a run to the Ningbo final last week, and now another final in Tokyo, even with the unusual route through a walkover in the quarter-finals.
The walkover itself was a reminder of how quickly a tournament can change. Rybakina, the world number one and top seed, withdrew from her quarter-final against Fernandez on Friday due to a neck injury, sending Fernandez through to the last four without playing. Reuters had earlier reported that Rybakina secured the year-end number one ranking after beating Yulia Putintseva in the second round in Tokyo, and that she was expected to compete at next month's season-ending WTA Finals in Indian Wells, California. Her withdrawal therefore did not change the ranking picture, but it did change the Tokyo draw — and Fernandez took full advantage.
Shnaider's season has a different shape. The Russian, seeded third in Tokyo, arrived in the Japanese capital still searching for a first title of 2026. Her comeback against Eala, in which she recovered from losing the first set 6-2, showed the fighting qualities that have made her one of the tour's most closely watched young players. Against Pohankova, a teenager playing with little to lose, she again held her nerve in a second-set tiebreak to close out the match in straight sets.
Illustration: Two tennis players shaking hands at the net after a match — an artist's impression, not a photograph of the finalists.
Why It Matters
A final between Fernandez and Shnaider matters for both players, and for different reasons. For Fernandez, a win in Tokyo would turn a strong autumn into a title-winning one, adding a second trophy of the season to the Singapore title and giving her momentum heading into the final weeks of the year. It would also confirm that the Ningbo final was not a one-off, but part of a sustained run of form.
For Shnaider, the stakes are arguably even higher. A first title of the season would reward a year of near-misses and give her a concrete result to carry into the off-season. Players often talk about the difference between reaching finals and winning them, and Shnaider's path in Tokyo — a comeback from a set down, then a tiebreak win against a fearless teenager — suggests she is learning how to win the matches that matter most.
The final also matters in the wider context of the women's season. With the WTA Finals in Indian Wells scheduled for 8–15 November, according to earlier Reuters reporting, the Tokyo final is one of the last chances for players to build form and confidence before the season-ending event. Rybakina's withdrawal with a neck injury will also be watched closely: the world number one is expected at the WTA Finals, and her fitness in the coming days will be a talking point regardless of who lifts the Tokyo trophy.
Beyond the immediate result, the match is a reminder of the depth now present in women's tennis. The semi-final line-up in Tokyo mixed an established name in Fernandez, a rising seed in Shnaider, a teenager in Pohankova and a qualifier-style run from Rakhimova. That spread of ages, styles and backgrounds is part of what has made the WTA tour so unpredictable in recent seasons — and why a final that looks straightforward on paper rarely plays out that way.
What Happens Next
The final is scheduled for Sunday, 1 November 2026, in Tokyo, with Fernandez and Shnaider meeting for the title. Readers should note that, at the time of writing, the final had not yet been played, and any claim about its winner would be premature. The result, and the manner of it, will be reported once the match is complete.
After Tokyo, attention will turn quickly to the WTA Finals in Indian Wells, where the season's top players are due to gather from 8 November. For Fernandez, a Tokyo title would be an ideal send-off; for Shnaider, it would be a statement that she belongs in the conversation at the very top of the game. For Rybakina, the priority in the meantime will be recovery from the neck injury that ended her Tokyo campaign early.
Whatever happens on Sunday, both finalists have already given Tokyo a final worth watching: one player riding a wave of late-season form, the other fighting her way through two demanding matches to reach the title match. The trophy, when it is lifted, will belong to the player who holds her nerve best on the day.
Illustration: A tennis trophy on a court-side table with a racket and balls — an artist's impression, not a photograph of the Tokyo trophy.
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FAQ
Who is in the Pan Pacific Open final?
Canada's Leylah Fernandez will face Russia's Diana Shnaider in the final in Tokyo on Sunday, 1 November 2026.
How did Fernandez reach the final?
Fernandez advanced to the semi-finals via a walkover after world number one Elena Rybakina withdrew from their quarter-final with a neck injury, then beat Kamilla Rakhimova 7-5, 6-3 on Saturday.
How did Shnaider reach the final?
Shnaider rallied to beat Alexandra Eala 2-6, 7-6(5), 6-4 in the quarter-finals, then beat Slovak teenager Mia Pohankova 6-4, 7-6(7) in the semi-finals.
What is at stake in the final?
Fernandez is chasing a second title of the season after winning in Singapore in September, while Shnaider is chasing her first title of the season.
When is the final, and what comes next?
The final is scheduled for Sunday, 1 November 2026. The season-ending WTA Finals in Indian Wells are then scheduled for 8–15 November, according to earlier Reuters reporting.
Sources
- Reuters, "Fernandez sets up Pan Pacific Open title clash with Shnaider," 31 October 2026.
- Reuters, "Rybakina withdraws from Tokyo quarter-finals with neck injury," 30 October 2026.
- Reuters / Field Level Media, "WTA roundup: Diana Shnaider stages Tokyo comeback," 30 October 2026.
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