Latest news with #LeylahFernandez
Toronto Star
18 hours ago
- Sport
- Toronto Star
Canada's Leylah Fernandez upsets top seed Jessica Pegula in third round of Citi Open
WASHINGTON - Canada's Leylah Fernandez advanced to the quarterfinals of the Citi Open hardcourt tennis tournament Thursday with a 6-3, 1-6, 7-5 upset win over top-seeded Jessica Pegula of the United States. Fernandez had five aces to nine double faults and broke on three of her eight chances in the two-hour, 19-minute match.
CTV News
19 hours ago
- Sport
- CTV News
Canada's Leylah Fernandez upsets top seed Jessica Pegula in third round of Citi Open
Leylah Fernandez, of Canada, returns the ball against Jessica Pegula during a match at the Citi Open tennis tournament Thursday, July 24, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass) WASHINGTON — Canada's Leylah Fernandez advanced to the quarterfinals of the Citi Open hardcourt tennis tournament Thursday with a 6-3, 1-6, 7-5 upset win over top-seeded Jessica Pegula of the United States. Fernandez had five aces to nine double faults and broke on three of her eight chances in the two-hour, 19-minute match. The Laval, Que., native had five break-point opportunities in the final set, converting on two of them. Pegula, meanwhile, had two aces to four double faults and broke on three of her seven opportunities. Fernandez will next face American Taylor Townsend in the quarterfinals on Friday. Earlier, Montreal's Gabriel Diallo was ousted in the third round of men's play with a 6-3, 6-2 loss to fourth seed Ben Shelton of the United States. Shelton was nearly unbeatable on serve, firing 16 aces to Diallo's five and winning a whopping 86 per cent of total service points. The American did not face break point while breaking Diallo three times on four chances. Diallo, seeded 15th in Washington, entered the tournament with a career-high world ranking of No. 35. He will next play at the National Bank Open in Toronto, where he is seeded 30th and will have a first-round bye. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 24, 2025 The Canadian Press
Daily Mirror
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Wimbledon star worth millions wants to go on a date with a tennis fan – 'DM me'
Leylah Fernandez took to social media with a bold request, turning her attention to dating after a disappointing Wimbledon display by calling on her fans to ask her out Wimbledon star Leylah Fernandez is on the lookout for love and has invited one of her followers to 'shoot their shot' by asking her out on a date in Montreal. The Canadian tennis ace took to Instagram to share a video with her 349,000 followers, encouraging them to slide into her DMs as she tends to stay away from dating apps. The 22-year-old addressed them by writing: 'This will be fun, right? This isn't a joke. I fully intend to go on a date in Montreal so go ahead and DM me… time to shoot your shot. PS: you may have to meet my dad beforehand (good luck with that).' She elaborated on her bizarre 'competition' in a follow-up clip, saying: "In Montreal, I would like to go on a date. You know what I really want to do and that I haven't done is going on a date. I am not a big fan of dating apps. 'So, I actually am gonna do things my way. I am gonna go on one date for one hour in Montreal. If you wanna be my date, DM me, let me know about yourself. See you there!' Fernandez, who according to Forbes had earned $6.5million (£4.8m) last year as the 18th highest-paid female athlete, later offered an update after getting past rising Australian star Maya Joint in her opening round match at the Citi Open in Washington DC. "There've been a lot of responses,' said the former World No. 13. 'I think the first day, there were maybe over 100 messages. I've got a lot of options. My dad point blank asked me if I'd gone on a date yet, and I told him I hadn't. "I've never really had the time, and no one's really asked me, which, I don't know why! He suggested I post a video on Instagram and have a date in Montréal where you feel at home and you feel comfortable. "I got responses from other athletes, including ones I went to the Olympics with, and they told me, 'I know how you feel,' or, 'When I was 22, I hadn't gone on a date yet, either.' "At this age, we're all either studying or going to sports competitions, so reading those messages not only makes me feel better and like I'm not the odd one out, but it's also pretty cool that we're able to have those conversations together." The request comes just weeks after Fernandez's underwhelming performance at Wimbledon. The world No. 36 easily defeated Great Britain's Hannah Klugman with a 6-1 6-3 victory in the opening round, reports the Express. However, she suffered an unexpected second round exit after losing to Laura Siegemund in straight sets, 6-2 6-3. Fernandez also teamed up with New Zealand's Lulu Sun for the doubles event. But they too endured an early exit, losing in the first round to Demi Schuurs and Asia Muhammad, who themselves were eliminated in the next round. Fernandez has had a shaky few months, with early departures from the French Open and Wimbledon indicating that she's not currently playing at her best. However, she set up a round-of-16 clash with world No. 4 Jessica Pegula by beating Joint. The hard-court tournament could provide Fernandez with an opportunity to find her groove before she heads back to Montreal. And victory would certainly give her something to chat about with any potential date back in her home country.
CBC
a day ago
- Sport
- CBC
Canada's Rebecca Marino eager for 'electric feeling' of playing National Bank Open
Bright lights. Big opponents. Canadian fans chanting her name. Rebecca Marino remembers every detail of her run at the 2021 National Bank Open. "Having that first match with [American Madison] Keys on centre court, a night match, and I just remember the crowd being so encouraging and really pushing me to win that match," she said of the first-round victory. "It was just kind of like this electric feeling. I was like, 'Oh, I want more of that.' "Those are the things you remember, more like the emotion and that sort of thing, not necessarily the points or like something specific that happened, but just that atmosphere." It's a feeling Marino will look to recapture this weekend when she returns to the tournament in Montreal. The 34-year-old Vancouver native received a wild-card spot in the main draw earlier this week and will be one of a record-high eight Canadian women competing at the hard-court event. "It's very rare we get opportunities to compete in tournaments at home, and the National Bank Open is the largest event we have," she said. "So it's really just exciting to play at home, in front of family and friends there. It's really incredible." The Canadian contingent includes a mix of up-and-coming players such as Carson Branstine and Victoria Mboko, and longtime favourites Leylah Fernandez, Bianca Andreescu and Genie Bouchard. Bouchard recently announced that the tournament will be her last as a professional tennis player. Vasek Pospisil of Vernon, B.C., is also set to retire after the men's tournament in Toronto. Both are players Marino has grown to know well during her career and, if a tribute video is played on the big screen, she expects to be among those in the stadium wiping tears from their eyes. "It's interesting seeing my peers start to retire," she said, noting that both Bouchard and Pospisil have been "integral" to Canadian tennis. "They had a huge amount of Canadian pride. So I think it's going to be really special for them to compete one last time in front of the home crowd. It's pretty crazy, but I'm very happy for them. It's like a celebration." WATCH | Canadian Vasek Pospisil announces retirement from tennis: Canadian tennis pro Vasek Pospisil announces retirement from the sport| Hanomansing Tonight 1 day ago Marino has no plans to hang up her racket. Currently ranked No. 118 in the world, Marino is pleased with how she's been playing, even through the grass season — which she admits is not her favourite. She conquered the tricky surface at the Ilkley Open, a WTA 125 event in the U.K. last month, where she made it to the final before falling to American Iva Jovic. "I've embraced the grass, and I've learned to love it," Marino said. "Hard court is my bread and butter, particularly this North America hard court swing. And right now I'm feeling fit, I'm feeling healthy, I feel like my game is heading in the direction I want it to head in." Earlier in the year, the six-foot-tall right-hander briefly climbed back into the WTA's top 100 players, hitting No. 98 ahead of the Australian Open in January. Marino dropped a tightly contested first-round match to Britain's Katie Boulter in Melbourne, but says she's been playing consistent tennis all year. "I feel like I just have to retain or maintain that sort of feeling that I belong with that top level, and I can compete with that top level," she said. "And in tennis, you have to pick yourself up every single week. Regardless of what happens, only one person wins the entire tournament. "But look, I feel like I'm right there and it can click at any moment. And in Ilkley, I had a great week, and it clicked. And then I'm hoping I can have another moment like that." WATCH | What's happening with the National Bank Open?: What's happening with the National Bank Open? 11 hours ago Learning to accept the ebbs and flows of the sport has been a process for Marino. After hitting a career-high No. 38 in June 2011, she stepped away from the professional game in 2013 after dealing with depression and cyberbullying. She went back to school, joined the University of British Columbia's rowing team, and learned how to believe in herself. Five years later, Marino returned to tennis with a new outlook. "[The time away] allowed me to reflect and re-centre my identity and how tennis is a part of that, and not this whole part of my identity," she explained. "It's a piece of the Rebecca pie, so to speak." Adjusting her perspective allowed Marino to fall back in love with her sport. And as long as she's in love with tennis and feeling healthy, Marino plans to keep playing. "When I came back to tennis, it allowed me to appreciate it in a different way. And it was 100 per cent my choice. I wasn't just going through the motions of it. I wanted to be there. I loved being there," said Marino, who's also found love off the court. She recently got engaged to her partner, James Wasteneys. Balancing her busy tournament schedule with planning a wedding will be a challenge, Marino admitted, but one she's eager to embrace. For now, though, she's focused on Montreal and the unique opportunity to play in Canada.
CTV News
a day ago
- Sport
- CTV News
Canada's Rebecca Marino eager for ‘electric feeling' of playing National Bank Open
Canada's Rebecca Marino plays a shot during her loss to Poland's Magda Linette at the National Bank Open in Toronto on Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young Bright lights. Big opponents. Canadian fans chanting her name. Rebecca Marino remembers every detail of her run at the 2021 National Bank Open. 'Having that first match with (American Maddison) Keys on centre court, a night match, and I just remember the crowd being so encouraging and really pushing me to win that match,' she said of the first-round victory. 'It was just kind of like this electric feeling. I was like, 'Oh, I want more of that.' 'Those are the things you remember, more like the emotion and that sort of thing, not necessarily the points or like something specific that happened, but just that atmosphere.' It's a feeling Marino will look to recapture this weekend when she returns to the tournament in Montreal. The 34-year-old Vancouver native received a wild-card spot in the main draw earlier this week and will be one of a record-high eight Canadian women competing at the hard-court event. 'It's very rare we get opportunities to compete in tournaments at home, and the National Bank Open is the largest event we have,' she said. 'So it's really just exciting to play at home, in front of family and friends there. It's really incredible.' The Canadian contingent includes a mix of up-and-coming players such as Carson Branstine and Victoria Mboko, and longtime favourites Leylah Fernandez, Bianca Andreescu and Genie Bouchard. Bouchard recently announced that the tournament will be her last as a professional tennis player. Vasek Pospisil of Vernon, B.C., is also set to retire after the men's tournament in Toronto. Both are players Marino has grown to know well during her career and, if a tribute video is played on the big screen, she expects to be among those in the stadium wiping tears from their eyes. 'It's interesting seeing my peers start to retire,' she said, noting that both Bouchard and Pospisil have been 'integral' to Canadian tennis. 'They had a huge amount of Canadian pride. So I think it's going to be really special for them to compete one last time in front of the home crowd. It's pretty crazy, but I'm very happy for them. It's like a celebration.' Marino has no plans to hang up her racket. Currently ranked No. 118 in the world, Marino is pleased with how she's been playing, even through the grass season — which she admits is not her favourite. She conquered the tricky surface at the Ilkley Open, a WTA 125 event in the U.K. last month, where she made it to the final before falling to American Iva Jovic. 'I've embraced the grass, and I've learned to love it,' Marino said. 'Hard court is my bread and butter, particularly this North America hard court swing. And right now I'm feeling fit, I'm feeling healthy, I feel like my game is heading in the direction I want it to head in.' Earlier in the year, the six-foot-tall right-hander briefly climbed back into the WTA's top 100 players, hitting No. 98 ahead of the Australian Open in January. Marino dropped a tightly contested first-round match to Britain's Katie Boulter in Melbourne, but says she's been playing consistent tennis all year. 'I feel like I just have to retain or maintain that sort of feeling that I belong with that top level, and I can compete with that top level,' she said. 'And in tennis, you have to pick yourself up every single week. Regardless of what happens, only one person wins the entire tournament. 'But look, I feel like I'm right there and it can click at any moment. And in Ilkley, I had a great week, and it clicked. And then I'm hoping I can have another moment like that.' Learning to accept the ebbs and flows of the sport has been a process for Marino. After hitting a career-high No. 38 in June 2011, she stepped away from the professional game in 2013 after dealing with depression and cyberbullying. She went back to school, joined the University of British Columbia's rowing team, and learned how to believe in herself. Five years later, Marino returned to tennis with a new outlook. '(The time away) allowed me to reflect and re-centre my identity and how tennis is a part of that, and not this whole part of my identity,' she explained. 'It's a piece of the Rebecca pie, so to speak.' Adjusting her perspective allowed Marino to fall back in love with her sport. And as long as she's in love with tennis and feeling healthy, Marino plans to keep playing. 'When I came back to tennis, it allowed me to appreciate it in a different way. And it was 100 per cent my choice. I wasn't just going through the motions of it. I wanted to be there. I loved being there,' said Marino, who's also found love off the court. She recently got engaged to her partner, James Wasteneys. Balancing her busy tournament schedule with planning a wedding will be a challenge, Marino admitted, but one she's eager to embrace. For now, though, she's focused on Montreal and the unique opportunity to play in Canada. 'Every chance I get, still, I feel is an amazing opportunity that I didn't think I'd have,' Marino said. 'So I just enjoy every moment, because this is my choice, and I love it.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 24, 2025. Gemma Karstens-Smith, The Canadian Press
