Leylah Fernandez is keeping it real.
Just a day after clinching the D.C. Open title, Fernandez candidly evaluated her challenging season leading up to that victory.
“Honestly, the rest of the year hasn’t been great,” she admitted. “It’s been quite tough, to put it mildly.”
Before her breakthrough in Washington, the 22-year-old had a 16-17 record, with no more than two match wins at any tournament this year.
So what sparked her incredible run of five consecutive victories — including intense matches against top-ranked players — to secure the most significant title of her career?
The talented player from Laval, Quebec, credited the vibrant atmosphere created by her team and the opportunity to practice with fellow Canadian athletes in Washington for boosting her confidence.
She also rekindled her passion for the sport after facing emotional challenges earlier this year, including unexpected health scares involving her mother and sister.
“It was tough to navigate my emotions,” Fernandez reflected during a press conference Monday. “After Roland-Garros, we discussed the importance of training less and rediscovering the joy of tennis, and that really helped me.
“I found that I was enjoying myself much more, allowing me to perform well in front of a large audience. Everything just fell into place that week, and I hope it continues for Montreal.”
After her remarkable victory, which pushed her up 12 spots to No. 24 in the world rankings, Fernandez gears up for her hometown National Bank Open, where she will face Australia’s Maya Joint in the first round on Tuesday — a rematch from Washington.
It’s been a whirlwind sequence of events in less than 24 hours.
Fernandez seized the Washington 500-level title — her fourth WTA trophy — with an impressive 6-1, 6-2 victory over Anna Kalinskaya from Russia in the finals, then rushed to the airport post-press duties and landed in Montreal at 2 a.m.
After only “three or four” hours of sleep, she made her way to IGA Stadium around 8 a.m. Monday for an event with her foundation. Following that? Some well-deserved rest.
“As much downtime as I can get,” she shared. “Staying positive is key, having a clear mind, and stepping onto the court filled with confidence and motivation is my priority.
“I want to play well, have fun, and put on a great show for the fans.”
The 2021 U.S. Open finalist previously secured three WTA 250 titles, including the Monterrey Open in 2021 and 2022, plus the Hong Kong Open in 2023.
In Washington, Fernandez certainly entertained, stunning third seed Elena Rybakina from Kazakhstan in a grueling three-hour, 12-minute semifinal showdown, along with defeating top seed Jessica Pegula from the USA in the second round.
“It was a really tough match. I was ahead in the third set against Leylah, but she’s clearly on top of her game,” remarked Pegula, the world No. 4, on Sunday. “She’s tricky to play against. Every match I had with her last year felt like it could have gone either way.”
In an unexpected twist, Fernandez deviated from her typical healthy eating habits, opting for burgers, hot dogs, and cheesy fries from Shake Shack after each match victory.
With the National Bank Open being held in Montreal, she’ll need a fresh strategy as Shake Shack only has three Canadian locations — all in Toronto.
“We’ll need to adapt our routine,” she laughed. “I have a whole list of local restaurants we want to try this week, all unique to Canada, and that’s definitely on our agenda.”
