Leylah Fernandez dominates DC Open final vs. Anna Kalinskaya
The North American hardcourt swing is officially underway as tennis pros get ready for the U.S. Open in New York at the endgame of August. Canadian Leylah Fernandez got her summer swing started off with a blast, dominating Anna Kalinskaya in the final of the Mubadala Citi DC Open on Sunday for her first title of the 2025 season.
Fernandez was the better player right from the very start of the championship match, taking advantage of a nervous Kalinskaya who was looking for her first career title. In the end, Fernandez ran away with a 6-1 6-2 victory in just over one hour.
Fernandez's run to the title in Washington D.C. was a very impressive one, despite it coming at a WTA 500 tournament without some of the best players in the sport. She knocked out up-and-coming Australian Maya Joint in the first round before winning a brutal three-setter against top seed Jessica Pegula in the Round of 16.
The Canadian almost saw her efforts end in the quarterfinals, where she battled through extreme heat and cramps to beat American Taylor Townsend in two tight sets. In the semifinals, she took down 2022 Wimbledon champion and No. 3 seed Elena Rybakina in one of the matches of the year, lasting three hours and 16 minutes.
It would have been understandable if Fernandez didn't have much left in the tank for the final after that epic semifinal against Rybakina, but she played her best match of the week to cap off the stellar run. This is her fourth career title and first since 2023 in Hong Kong.
This victory should give the 22-year old a lot of momentum heading into one of her favorite parts of the calendar. On Tuesday, she will get her quest for a WTA 1000 title underway in front of her home fans in Montreal before the final U.S. Open tune-up in Cincinnati the following week.
Fernandez already should take plenty of confidence into New York after her Cinderella run to the final there in 2021, where she became a household name before losing to Emma Raducanu in the championship match. This win in Washington D.C. will only add to those good vibes as she gets into the heart of the summer hardcourt swing.
Related: Coco Gauff preps for Canadian Open resurgence after Wimbledon upset
Related: Venus Williams' DC Open comeback attempt stalls in 2nd round
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