Four-times Grand Slam champion Osaka booked a place in a WTA 1000 final for the first time since Miami 2022 after another impressive display, beating Danish 16th seed Clara Tauson 6-2, 7-6(7) in the second semi-final.
The 27-year-old Osaka, a former world number one, is the first Japanese player in the Open Era to reach the final at the Canadian Open.
Tauson, who lost her grandfather just two days before her impressive win against Madison Keys in the quarter-final, missed a brilliant opportunity to take a 3-2 lead in the first set when Osaka faced two break points.
Osaka managed to save both of them, but also had margins on her side. When the Japanese tied it at 40-40, the ball hit the edge of the net and landed on Tauson's side of the net.
After Osaka regained the lead and went up 3-2, the Japanese oozed confidence and quickly decided the first set in her favor.
The second set began in the same style, with Osaka on top against an inferior Tauson.
Trailing 1-3 and under heavy pressure, the Dane suddenly flourished and tied it at 4-4.
Tauson regained her powerful game, and when the second set was to be decided in a tiebreak a little later, things started to look promising for the Dane.
Tauson took a 3-0 lead in the tiebreak and had two set points to tie the game. But Osaka did not give up, and the Japanese managed to win the tiebreak 9-7.
In the final, Osaka will face Canadian wildcard Victoria Mboko. The 18-year-old Mboko beat Elena Rybakina 1-6, 7-5, 7-6 in the other semifinal.