Latest news with #LeylahFernandez
Winnipeg Free Press
a day ago
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
After tough start to season, Canada's Leylah Fernandez rides momentum into NBO
MONTREAL – Leylah Fernandez won't sugar-coat it. Less than 24 hours after winning the D.C. Open, Fernandez offered a blunt assessment of her season before that title run. 'The rest of the year hasn't been great,' she said. 'It's been pretty shit, to be honest.' Before Washington, Fernandez held a 16-17 record and hadn't won more than two matches at a tournament this year. So how did she suddenly rattle off five straight wins — including gruelling battles against two of the best in tennis — to capture the biggest title of her career? The 22-year-old from Laval, Que., highlighted the positive energy around her team and the chance to train with other Canadian players in Washington, helping her gain confidence. She also rediscovered her love for the game after a difficult stretch earlier this year, when her mother and sister's surprise health scares took an emotional toll. 'It was difficult to manage and disconnect from my emotions,' Fernandez said at a news conference Monday. 'But after Roland-Garros and while preparing for Wimbledon, we talked a lot about maybe training a little less and just finding the joy of tennis, and it helped me a lot. 'I was just enjoying myself a lot more and I was able to play well in front of a big crowd. I guess everything just clicked in that week, and hopefully it continues for Montreal.' Fernandez, who jumped 12 spots to No. 24 in the world Monday, begins her hometown National Bank Open with a first-round match Tuesday against Australia's Maya Joint — also her opening opponent in Washington. It's a quick turnaround after a whirlwind past 24 hours. Fernandez claimed the Washington 500-level title — her fourth WTA crown — with a 6-1, 6-2 win over Anna Kalinskaya of Russia in the championship game on Sunday, hurried to the airport after media duties and packing, and landed in Montreal at 2 a.m. After 'three or four' hours of sleep, she was at IGA Stadium around 8 a.m. Monday morning for an event with her foundation. Next up on her schedule? Some rest. 'As much downtime as possible,' she said. 'The most important thing is to stay positive, to have a clear mind and to enter the tennis court with a lot of confidence and a lot of motivation to play. 'Play well, have fun, and put on a good show for the crowd.' The 2021 U.S. Open finalist had previously won three WTA 250 titles: the Monterrey Open in 2021 and 2022, and the Hong Kong Open in 2023. Fernandez certainly put on a show in D.C. by eliminating third seed Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan in a three-hour, 12-minute semifinal match. She also knocked out top seed Jessica Pegula of the United States in the second round. Thursdays Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter. 'Really tough match. I was up in the third against Leylah, but obviously she's clearly playing some really good tennis,' said Pegula, the world No. 4, on Sunday. 'She's really tricky. I played her a couple of times last year and every match honestly felt like it could have gone either way. I was trying not to be too upset about that match.' In a departure from the pro athlete's usual healthy diet, Fernandez found a winning routine of devouring burgers, hotdogs and cheese fries from American fast food chain Shake Shack after each victory. She'll need to find a new recipe for success with this year's NBO taking place in Montreal. Shake Shack currently has only three Canadian locations — all in Toronto. 'We're gonna have to find a different type of routine,' she said. 'There's definitely a list of restaurants that we want to go to this week that they don't have in the U.S., only here in Canada, so that's definitely on our to-do list.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 28, 2025.
Hamilton Spectator
a day ago
- Sport
- Hamilton Spectator
After tough start to season, Canada's Leylah Fernandez rides momentum into NBO
MONTREAL - Leylah Fernandez won't sugar-coat it. Less than 24 hours after winning the D.C. Open, Fernandez offered a blunt assessment of her season before that title run. 'The rest of the year hasn't been great,' she said. 'It's been pretty shit, to be honest.' Before Washington, Fernandez held a 16-17 record and hadn't won more than two matches at a tournament this year. So how did she suddenly rattle off five straight wins — including gruelling battles against two of the best in tennis — to capture the biggest title of her career? The 22-year-old from Laval, Que., highlighted the positive energy around her team and the chance to train with other Canadian players in Washington, helping her gain confidence. She also rediscovered her love for the game after a difficult stretch earlier this year, when her mother and sister's surprise health scares took an emotional toll. 'It was difficult to manage and disconnect from my emotions,' Fernandez said at a news conference Monday. 'But after Roland-Garros and while preparing for Wimbledon, we talked a lot about maybe training a little less and just finding the joy of tennis, and it helped me a lot. 'I was just enjoying myself a lot more and I was able to play well in front of a big crowd. I guess everything just clicked in that week, and hopefully it continues for Montreal.' Fernandez, who jumped 12 spots to No. 24 in the world Monday, begins her hometown National Bank Open with a first-round match Tuesday against Australia's Maya Joint — also her opening opponent in Washington. It's a quick turnaround after a whirlwind past 24 hours. Fernandez claimed the Washington 500-level title — her fourth WTA crown — with a 6-1, 6-2 win over Anna Kalinskaya of Russia in the championship game on Sunday, hurried to the airport after media duties and packing, and landed in Montreal at 2 a.m. After 'three or four' hours of sleep, she was at IGA Stadium around 8 a.m. Monday morning for an event with her foundation. Next up on her schedule? Some rest. 'As much downtime as possible,' she said. 'The most important thing is to stay positive, to have a clear mind and to enter the tennis court with a lot of confidence and a lot of motivation to play. 'Play well, have fun, and put on a good show for the crowd.' The 2021 U.S. Open finalist had previously won three WTA 250 titles: the Monterrey Open in 2021 and 2022, and the Hong Kong Open in 2023. Fernandez certainly put on a show in D.C. by eliminating third seed Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan in a three-hour, 12-minute semifinal match. She also knocked out top seed Jessica Pegula of the United States in the second round. 'Really tough match. I was up in the third against Leylah, but obviously she's clearly playing some really good tennis,' said Pegula, the world No. 4, on Sunday. 'She's really tricky. I played her a couple of times last year and every match honestly felt like it could have gone either way. I was trying not to be too upset about that match.' In a departure from the pro athlete's usual healthy diet, Fernandez found a winning routine of devouring burgers, hotdogs and cheese fries from American fast food chain Shake Shack after each victory. She'll need to find a new recipe for success with this year's NBO taking place in Montreal. Shake Shack currently has only three Canadian locations — all in Toronto. 'We're gonna have to find a different type of routine,' she said. 'There's definitely a list of restaurants that we want to go to this week that they don't have in the U.S., only here in Canada, so that's definitely on our to-do list.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 28, 2025. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
CTV News
a day ago
- Sport
- CTV News
Fernandez wins D.C. Open fuelled by Shake Shack, de Minaur takes men's title
Jessica Pegula, bottom, serves to Leylah Fernandez, top, of Canada, during a match at the Citi Open tennis tournament Thursday, July 24, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass) WASHINGTON — The biggest tennis title of Leylah Fernandez's career arrived at the D.C. Open on Sunday with the help of a terrific backhand, some superb returning — and energy courtesy of Shake Shack's burgers and fries. The left-handed Fernandez, a 22-year-old from Laval, Que., who is ranked 36th, wrapped up a big week of tight matches with a lopsided victory, defeating Anna Kalinskaya of Russia 6-1, 6-2 in the final. Fernandez earned her fourth singles trophy — all have come at hard-court tournaments — and first at a WTA 500 event. She came quite close to a Grand Slam championship as a teenager at the 2021 U.S. Open, making it all the way to the final in New York before losing to Emma Raducanu. There almost was a rematch in Washington, but Kalinskaya eliminated Raducanu in Saturday's semifinals. The men's trophy was won by No. 7 seed Alex de Minaur, who earned his 10th ATP title — eighth on hard courts — by saving three championship points in a 5-7, 6-1, 7-6 (3) victory over No. 12 Alejandro Davidovich Fokina. De Minaur, a 26-year-old Australian, was the runner-up in Washington in 2018. Davidovich Fokina dropped to 0-4 for his career in finals despite leading 5-2 in the third set Sunday and repeatedly standing just a single point from victory. This was his second time frittering away multiple match points in a tournament final this year. He entered the week at No. 26 and will make his debut in the top 20 on Monday; he remains the highest-ranked man without a title. Fernandez took quite a journey through the women's bracket. She needed 2 hours, 19 minutes to oust No. 1 seed Jessica Pegula — last year's U.S. Open runner-up — in three sets in the second round, then 2 hours, 20 minutes to beat Taylor Townsend in the quarterfinals, and 3 hours, 12 minutes for a three-tiebreaker victory over No. 3 seed Elena Rybakina — the 2022 Wimbledon champion — in the semifinals. After each of the last two, Fernandez and her father — who is also her coach — opted for Shake Shack. 'We got burgers, hotdog, cheese fries — everything that an athlete should not eat before a match, but it did the trick,' Fernandez said about what she ate after the Townsend match. 'It gave me the right nutrients to recover from the cramps and get ready for the next round.' Following the Rybakina marathon, Fernandez said she and her father 'were messaging, and I was, like, 'OK, what do you want to eat tonight?' We both answered at the same time: burgers. … That was kind of my diet for the whole week.' Sure worked: This was the first title for Fernandez since October 2023 at the Hong Kong Open. Plus, she arrived in Washington with a losing record this season and hadn't won more than two matches at the same tournament since last November. 'I have gone through so many different challenges this week. It just has made me stronger, in a way, that if I can get through this week — through the cramps, through the long matches, through the heat, the humidity — I can get through anything,' Fernandez said. 'So I was just very happy that I got to not only push myself physically through the limits, but also mentally. So that kind of will help me hopefully for future tournaments.' Against the 48th-ranked Kalinskaya, who hadn't dropped a set until Sunday, Fernandez saved the only break point she faced while breaking four times. One key: Fernandez claimed 10 of the 12 points when Kalinskaya hit a second serve. Another: Kalinskaya — a 26-year-oldwho is 0-3 in tour finals — finished with 24 unforced errors and just nine winners. 'Amazing fight this week,' Kalinskaya told Fernandez. 'You truly deserve it.' ___ Howard Fendrich, The Associated Press
Independent Singapore
a day ago
- Sport
- Independent Singapore
'The match was very solid from my part' — Leylah Fernandez secures fourth WTA Grand Slam title in Washington
Photo: WASHINGTON, D.C.: Canadian athlete Leylah Fernandez elevated her tennis career by winning this year's WTA 500 Mubadala Citi DC Open title in Washington, D.C., making it her fourth career WTA singles trophy. Ranked world No. 36, Fernandez defeated No. 48 Anna Kalinskaya 6-1, 6-2 in the hard-court final. In a span of only 1 hour and 9 minutes, the athlete became the first Canadian woman to achieve the Washington title. With her win, Fernandez said in her post-match press conference: 'The match was very solid from my part… I was very happy the way that I held my nerves. I was definitely very nervous in the beginning, but I got to play my game in the important points and kind of push through those nerves, so I was super happy about that.' Highlights of the match Leylah faced a break point at 1-1 in the first set, but with her capabilities and skills, she managed to hold her serve. The Canadian took control of the rest of the set as Kalinskaya lost her serve due to a double fault. Leylah won the opening game with a winning drop shot after just 30 minutes. Fernandez continued her strong play in the second set and eventually went on to win the match. She had four out of six break points during the match and never lost her own serve. Fernandez's athletic performance Leylah Fernandez reached the US Open final in 2021, but since then, she has not won any major tournament for quite some time. Her last win was in Hong Kong in October 2023, and the last time she reached a final was over a year ago when she eventually lost to Daria Kasatkina on the grass courts at the WTA 500 in Eastbourne. However, Fernandez prepared for her games in Washington and was ready to clinch the title. She played more than nine hours to get to the final, including a 3-hour and 12-minute match, which she won against Elena Rybakina in the semifinals. Fernandez admitted: 'I have gone through so many different challenges this know, I think it just has made me stronger in a way that if I can get through this week, through the cramps, through the long matches, through the heat, the humidity, I can get through anything.' 'So I was just very happy that I got to not only push myself physically through the limits but also mentally. So that kind of will help me hopefully for future tournaments,' she added. On social media, netizens expressed their support for the Canadian tennis star. One netizen stated: 'Well yes! Leylah Annie Fernandez, the new queen of D.C. is Canadian. It sounds very correct. ❤️' Another netizen remarked: 'She really played her heart out. Good for you queen!' One more netizen said: 'What a great week of Tennis. So resilient !! Congrats !! 😎✌️' () => { const trigger = if ('IntersectionObserver' in window && trigger) { const observer = new IntersectionObserver((entries, observer) => { => { if ( { lazyLoader(); // You should define lazyLoader() elsewhere or inline here // Run once } }); }, { rootMargin: '800px', threshold: 0.1 }); } else { // Fallback setTimeout(lazyLoader, 3000); } });
Toronto Star
2 days ago
- Sport
- Toronto Star
Fernandez wins DC Open fuelled by Shake Shack, de Minaur takes men's title
Leylah Fernandez, of Canada, returns the ball against Jessica Pegula during a match at the Citi Open tennis tournament Thursday, July 24, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass) NW flag wire: true flag sponsored: false article_type: : sWebsitePrimaryPublication : publications/toronto_star bHasMigratedAvatar : false :
