Even after ending an 18-month title drought last weekend in Washington, Leylah Annie Fernandez didn’t try to sugar coat how the rest of her 2025 had gone.
“It’s been pretty s**t, to be honest,” Fernandez told reporters Monday at the National Bank Open presented by Rogers. “I’ve been working very hard for a long time. It started with just a good environment, good vibes with the team members, having dinner with the other Canadian girls that were at the tournament.
“Then on court I was just enjoying myself a lot more, and I was able to play well in front of a big crowd. So, yeah, I guess everything just clicked in that week, and hopefully it continues for Montreal.”
The Lavalloise will be playing in front of another big crowd Tuesday when she faces Australian teen Maya Joint in the first round at IGA Stadium. Fernandez has been around tennis long enough to know that quick turnarounds are a constant in tennis and even if she exits, the title in Washington is bound to provide lingering feel-good effects.
Fernandez didn’t have much time to celebrate, although did hit burger joint Shake Shack, which turned out to be a familiar spot for the 22-year-old in the U.S. capital.
Fernandez intends to enjoy the many culinary delights of Montreal with a deep stay, too. She arrived in her hometown at around 2 a.m. on Monday, had three or four hours of sleep and arrived at the tournament venue around 8 a.m.
“The welcome was 100 percent. A lot of love for me and my family,” she said.
Fernandez cruised past Anna Kalinskaya in the Washington final but spent more than three hours on court in draining conditions to oust former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina in the semifinals.
Such wins had been hard to come by for Fernandez – she earlier endured three and four-match losing streaks. No wonder the colourful language came in describing the first half of 2025.
“The first half of the season was filled with highs and lows, more lows,” said Fernandez. “But it was a lot of learning. I learned a lot about myself and how to manage situations on the court and off the court. It wasn’t easy for me but also for the family, the team. We had some difficulties with personal issues at home but now all is good and we’re happy.”
Later, she elaborated on those personal issues.
“I don’t know if my mother (Irene) or older sister (Jodeci) want me to say a little more but we had some surprises, not good surprises, some visits to the hospital, so there were some difficult moments for me to continue to play tennis with that in my head,” said Fernandez. “It was difficult to manage and disconnect from my emotions.”
After the French Open, Fernandez and her team decided to tweak her regimen. She trained a little less – she’s always been known as a tireless worker – to rediscover her love of tennis and took a small holiday after a second-round loss at Wimbledon.
The move seemed to pay off.
Fernandez began her path to the Washington title by downing Joint in straight sets. Some poutine for Fernandez if she gets the better of the 19-year-old for the second time in as many weeks?
Photo: Pascal Ratthé