Leylah Fernandez facts for kids
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Fernandez at the 2023 Washington Open
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| Full name | Leylah Annie Fernandez |
|---|---|
| Country (sports) |  Canada |
| Residence | Boynton Beach, Florida, U.S. |
| Born | 6 September 2002 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 | $5,509,203 |
| Singles | |
| Career record | 188–123 (60.45%) |
| Career titles | 3 |
| Highest ranking | No. 13 (8 August 2022) |
| Current ranking | No. 31 (6 January 2025) |
| Grand Slam singles results | |
| Australian Open | 3R (2025) |
| French Open | QF (2022) |
| Wimbledon | 2R (2023, 2024) |
| US Open | F (2021) |
| Other tournaments | |
| Olympic Games | 3R (2024) |
| Doubles | |
| Career record | 79–56 (58.52%) |
| Career titles | 0 WTA, 2 ITF |
| Highest ranking | No. 17 (23 October 2023) |
| Current ranking | No. 32 (6 January 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 16–3 |
Leylah Annie Fernandez (born on September 6, 2002) is a professional tennis player from Canada. She has achieved a high ranking of No. 13 in the world by the WTA. This happened on August 8, 2022.
Leylah also reached No. 17 in doubles on October 23, 2023. She 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 played against another young player, Emma Raducanu. On her way to the final, she beat three players ranked in the top 5, including the defending champion Naomi Osaka.
In 2023, Leylah played a very important part in Canada winning the Billie Jean King Cup for the first time ever. She helped her team win by defeating Jasmine Paolini in the final match.
Contents
Early Life and Family
Leylah Fernandez was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. She went to school at École secondaire Antoine-de-Saint-Exupéry. 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.
Leylah's Tennis Journey
Starting in Junior Tennis
On January 25, 2019, when Leylah was 16, she reached the final of the Australian Open girls' singles tournament. She lost that match to the top-ranked player, Clara Tauson.
A few months later, on June 8, 2019, Leylah won the French Open junior title. She beat Emma Navarro in the final. This made her the first Canadian girl to win a junior Grand Slam title since Eugenie Bouchard in 2012. This big win also made her the number one junior player in the world.
Becoming a Professional Player (2019)
On July 21, 2019, Leylah won her very first professional singles tennis title. This happened at the Gatineau Challenger. She also won her first professional doubles title on the same day. She teamed up with Rebecca Marino.
First Grand Slam and WTA Final (2020)
Leylah played in her first major tournament, a Grand Slam, at the Australian Open. She had to play in qualifying rounds first. She lost in the first round of the main tournament.
The next week, she had a huge win against Belinda Bencic, who was ranked No. 5 in the world. This was during the 2020 Billie Jean King Cup qualifying round.
Later in February, Leylah reached her first final on the WTA Tour at the Mexican Open. She lost to Heather Watson. In October, at the French Open, Leylah made it to the third round. She upset a higher-ranked player, Magda Linette, before losing to Petra Kvitová.
Winning Her First WTA Title and US Open Final (2021)
Leylah started 2021 with some challenges. But in March, at the Monterrey Open, she won her first WTA Tour title. She beat Viktorija Golubic in the final. Leylah was only 18 years old and the youngest player in the tournament. She won the whole event without losing a single set!
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At the US Open, Leylah became a fan favorite because she was an underdog who kept winning. She beat the defending champion, Naomi Osaka, in the third round. Then she defeated former world No. 1, Angelique Kerber, in the fourth round. In the quarterfinals, she beat Elina Svitolina. All these wins were in tough three-set matches.
A day after her 19th birthday, she reached her first major semifinal. She then beat Aryna Sabalenka to reach her first major final. She was the first player born in 2002 to reach such a final. In the final, she lost to fellow teenager Emma Raducanu.
At the end of 2021, Leylah was given the Bobbie Rosenfeld Award. This award is for the best Canadian female athlete of the year.
Defending Her Title and Doubles Success (2022)
Leylah started 2022 by reaching the round of 16 at the Adelaide International. In March, she successfully defended her Monterrey Open title. She won her second career title by beating Camila Osorio in a very close three-set match. She even saved five championship points in the final set!
Leylah also played in the doubles competition at the Monterrey Open with her sister, Bianca. They lost in the first round.
In May, at the French Open, Leylah beat Olympic champion Belinda Bencic. She also defeated Amanda Anisimova. She reached the quarterfinals before losing to Martina Trevisan.
Unfortunately, Leylah got a foot injury during her quarterfinal match at the French Open. This injury made her miss Wimbledon that year.
French Open Doubles Final and Billie Jean King Cup Win (2023)
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Leylah started 2023 by reaching the quarterfinals at the Auckland Open. At the Australian Open, she won her first match. She then lost a tough match to Caroline Garcia, who was ranked No. 4 in the world.
At the Miami Open, Leylah teamed up with Taylor Townsend in doubles. They reached the final but lost to Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula. This helped Leylah's doubles ranking go up a lot!
At the French Open, Leylah reached her first major doubles final with Taylor Townsend. This amazing achievement helped her enter the top 20 in the doubles rankings.
After the US Open, Leylah played very well. 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. With this win, she re-entered the top 50 in singles.
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. She also beat a top ten opponent, Markéta Vondroušová, for the first time since the 2021 US Open. This was Canada's first-ever win in this important team competition. Leylah was praised a lot for her efforts. She said this win "means the world to me" and gives her and Canada a lot of confidence. She won the Heart Award twice in one season, which is a rare achievement.
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Strong Performances in 2024
At the Canadian Open in Toronto, Leylah reached the doubles semifinals with her sister Bianca. At the Cincinnati Open, she reached the quarterfinals in singles. She had a big win over Elena Rybakina, who was ranked fourth in the world. This was her first win against a top-five player since her amazing run at the 2021 US Open final.
In doubles at the same event, Leylah and her partner Yulia Putintseva reached the final.
About Leylah's Life
Leylah loves football! Her favorite teams are Real Madrid and Manchester City. She can speak three languages very well: English, French, and Spanish. She is also studying business online at Indiana University East. This university has a special program that lets tennis players study while they are still competing.
Helping Others
Leylah started the Leylah Annie & Family Foundation. This is a non profit organization that helps families have a better life through education and sports.
Sponsors
Leylah is sponsored by different companies. She wears clothes from the Canadian brand Lululemon. She uses racquets from the French brand Babolat, specifically the Babolat Pure Aero racquet. She is also sponsored by companies like Telcel/Claro, Morgan Stanley, and Google. She is also an ambassador for Flair Airlines.
Major 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
