Simona Halep is enjoying her burgeoning rivalry with Sloane Stephens and the world number one believes her game is improving thanks to the American.
The duo have met twice in finals this year with Halep prevailing on both occasions after three-set thrillers in Paris and Montreal.
Halep ended her long wait for a grand slam with victory at Roland Garros in June as she came from a set down to beat Stephens 3-6 6-4 6-1.
Stephens once again pushed the Romanian all the way on Sunday, Halep needing a deciding set to claim the Rogers Cup title.
And Halep praised her opponent after the victory, saying Stephens' improvements are making her a better player.
"Both matches [against Stephens in 2018] were crazy good," she said. "She makes me play better and better every time we meet each other. That's a great thing for me.
"I feel like she improved in her mental [approach] also. She doesn't give up that much now.
"Of course, she's a strong player. I think she's a complex player. She has everything."
The win was Halep's 42nd of the year and brought her a third trophy, but she is in no mood to stop there with the US Open on the horizon.
She said: "I had a big holiday after the French Open, but my game is still there, and also the desire to win, which makes me happy and makes me more relaxed.
"I didn't wait 20 grand slams to lose the motivation. I won only one. I still have the motivation to be better and to win more, if that's possible.
"I will keep working. I will keep doing the same thing. Hopefully I will have many more."
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