Leylah Fernandez facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Leylah Fernandez

Fernandez at the 2023 Washington Open
Full name	Leylah Annie Fernandez
Country (sports)	Canada
Residence	Boynton Beach, Florida, U.S.
Born	(2002-09-06) 6 September 2002 (age 22) Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Height	1.68 m (5 ft 6 in)
Turned pro	2019
Plays	Left-handed (two-handed backhand)
Coach	Jorge Fernandez
Prize money	US$6,449,534
Singles
Career record	213–145 (59.5%)
Career titles	3
Highest ranking	No. 13 (8 August 2022)
Current ranking	No. 37 (30 June 2025)
Grand Slam singles results
Australian Open	3R (2025)
French Open	QF (2022)
Wimbledon	2R (2023, 2024, 2025)
US Open	F (2021)
Other tournaments
Olympic Games	3R (2024)
Doubles
Career record	90–69 (56.6%)
Career titles	0 WTA, 2 ITF
Highest ranking	No. 17 (23 October 2023)
Current ranking	No. 37 (30 June 2025)
Grand Slam doubles results
Australian Open	3R (2021, 2025)
French Open	F (2023)
Wimbledon	3R (2024)
US Open	QF (2023)
Other doubles tournaments
Olympic Games	2R (2024)
Grand Slam mixed doubles results
Wimbledon	2R (2023)
US Open	QF (2022)
Team competitions
BJK Cup	W (2023), record 11–3

Leylah Annie Fernandez (born 6 September 2002) is a talented Canadian professional tennis player. She has achieved a high ranking of No. 13 in singles by the WTA. In doubles, her best ranking was No. 17. Leylah won her first WTA Tour title at the 2021 Monterrey Open. When she was 19, she made it to the final of the 2021 US Open. She beat three top-5 players, including the defending champion Naomi Osaka, before losing to Emma Raducanu.

Leylah also played a very important part in Canada winning its first-ever Billie Jean King Cup in 2023. She helped her team by winning her match against Jasmine Paolini in the final.

About Leylah Fernandez

Her Early Life

Leylah Fernandez was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Her father, Jorge, is from Ecuador and used to play football. Her mother, Irene, is a Filipino Canadian. Leylah also has a younger sister named Bianca, who is also a tennis player.

Starting Her Tennis Career

Junior Successes

On January 25, 2019, when Leylah was 16, she reached the final of the Australian Open girls' singles tournament. She lost that match to Clara Tauson. Later that year, on June 8, 2019, Leylah won the French Open junior title by beating Emma Navarro. This made her the first Canadian girl to win a junior Grand Slam since Eugenie Bouchard in 2012. This big win also made her the world's No. 1 junior player.

Turning Professional in 2019

Leylah won her first professional singles tennis title on July 21, 2019. She beat fellow Canadian Carson Branstine at the Gatineau Challenger. On the same day, she also won her first professional doubles title with Rebecca Marino. The next week, she reached another final in Granby, but lost to Lizette Cabrera.

First WTA Final in 2020

Leylah played in her first Grand Slam tournament at the Australian Open. She made it through the qualifying rounds but lost in the first main round.

A week later, she had a huge win against world No. 5, Belinda Bencic, in the 2020 Billie Jean King Cup qualifying round. This was her biggest win at that time.

In February, at the Mexican Open, Leylah reached her first WTA Tour final. She lost to Heather Watson. The next week, she beat Sloane Stephens to reach the quarterfinals of the Monterrey Open.

At the French Open in October, Leylah reached the third round. She beat the 31st seed Magda Linette and then Polona Hercog, before losing to Petra Kvitová.

Big Moments in 2021

Winning Her First WTA Title

Leylah started 2021 by winning her first WTA Tour title at the Monterrey Open in March. She won all her matches without losing a single set. At 18 years old, she was the youngest player in the tournament.

Reaching the US Open Final

At the US Open, Leylah became a fan favorite because she kept winning as an underdog. She beat many top players:

• Third seed and defending champion Naomi Osaka in the third round.
• Former world No. 1 Angelique Kerber in the fourth round.
• Fifth seed Elina Svitolina in the quarterfinals.

She reached her first major semifinal just after her 19th birthday. Then, she beat Aryna Sabalenka, the second seed, to reach her first major final. This was only the third time in the Open era that a woman beat three of the top five seeds at the US Open. In the final, she lost to Emma Raducanu.

Fernandez at the 2021 French Open

Later in 2021, Leylah played at the Indian Wells Open. She won against Alizé Cornet and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova but lost in the fourth round to Shelby Rogers.

At the end of 2021, Leylah received the Bobbie Rosenfeld Award. This award is given by the Canadian Press to the best Canadian female athlete of the year.

Continuing Success in 2022

Defending Her Monterrey Title

In March 2022, Leylah successfully defended her Monterrey Open title. She won her second career title by beating Camila Osorio in a tough three-set match, saving five championship points. She also played in the doubles competition with her sister, Bianca, but they lost in the first round.

French Open Quarterfinals

At the French Open in May, Leylah beat Olympic champion Belinda Bencic and Amanda Anisimova. She reached the quarterfinals before losing to Martina Trevisan.

Unfortunately, Leylah had a foot injury during her quarterfinal match at the French Open. This injury made her miss Wimbledon that year.

Fernandez at the 2022 US Open

At the US Open, Leylah was seeded 14th. She won her first match but then lost in the second round. In doubles, she reached the second round, and in mixed doubles, she made it to the quarterfinals.

Highlights of 2023

French Open Doubles Final and Billie Jean King Cup Win

Fernandez embraces doubles partner Taylor Townsend at the 2023 French Open, where they reached their first major doubles final

At the Miami Open in doubles, Leylah and her partner Taylor Townsend reached the final. They lost to Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula. This helped Leylah's doubles ranking climb to No. 36.

At the French Open, Leylah reached her first major doubles final with Taylor Townsend. This achievement helped her enter the top 20 in doubles rankings.

After the US Open, Leylah showed great form. She reached her first WTA 1000 singles quarterfinal at the Guadalajara Open.

She then won her first singles title since February 2022 at the Hong Kong Open. This win helped her get back into the top 50 singles players. She also reached a new career-high doubles ranking of No. 17.

Leylah led the Canadian team to victory at the 2023 Billie Jean King Cup. She won all four of her singles matches and one doubles match. This included a win against a top ten opponent, Markéta Vondroušová. This was Canada's first-ever win in the Cup, and Leylah was praised for her important role. She said this achievement "means the world to me." She also won the Heart Award twice in one season, which is a rare achievement.

Fernandez hits a backhand in Strasbourg in May 2024.

Recent Matches in 2024 and 2025

2024 Season

At the Canadian Open in Toronto, Leylah reached the doubles semifinals with her sister Bianca. At the Cincinnati Open, she reached the singles quarterfinals. She had a big win against fourth seed Elena Rybakina, which was her first win over a top five player since the 2021 US Open final. Leylah also reached the doubles final at the same event with Yulia Putintseva.

2025 Season

At the Australian Open, Leylah reached the third round. She won against Yuliia Starodubtseva and Cristina Bucșa before losing to third seed Coco Gauff.

At the Abu Dhabi Open, she made it to the quarterfinals. She won against Moyuka Uchijima and Lulu Sun before losing to Ashlyn Krueger.

Leylah also reached the doubles final at the WTA 125 Catalonia Open with Lulu Sun. They lost to Bianca Andreescu and Aldila Sutjiadi.

Leylah's Life Off the Court

Personal Interests

Leylah is a big fan of football (soccer) and supports the clubs Real Madrid and Manchester City. She can speak three languages fluently: English, French, and Spanish. She is also studying business online at Indiana University East. This university has a special program that helps tennis players get their bachelor's degrees while still playing in tournaments.

Helping Others Through Charity

Leylah started the Leylah Annie & Family Foundation. This is a non profit organization that helps families have a better life through education and sports.

Sponsorships

Leylah is sponsored by several well-known brands. She wears clothes from the Canadian brand Lululemon and uses racquets from the French brand Babolat. She was the first global tennis ambassador for Lululemon. She also has partnerships with companies like Telcel, Morgan Stanley, and Google.

Career Statistics

Grand Slam Tournament Performance

Singles

Leylah's performance in singles at the major Grand Slam tournaments:

Doubles

Leylah's performance in doubles at the major Grand Slam tournaments:

Grand Slam Tournament Finals

Singles: 1 (Runner-up)

Result	Year	Tournament	Surface	Opponent	Score
Loss	2021	US Open	Hard	Emma Raducanu	4–6, 3–6

Doubles: 1 (Runner-up)

Result	Year	Tournament	Surface	Partner	Opponents	Score
Loss	2023	French Open	Clay	Taylor Townsend	Hsieh Su-wei Wang Xinyu	6–1, 6–7(5–7), 1–6

See also

In Spanish: Leylah Fernandez para niños