Canada's fiery fan favourite who upset Osaka and Kvitová at the 2021 US Open as a 19-year-old.
Leylah Fernandez was born on 6 September 2002 in Montréal, Quebec, Canada, to a Filipino-Ecuadorian father and a Canadian-Filipina mother. She turned professional in 2019 and announced herself to the world at the 2021 US Open, where she defeated Naomi Osaka, Angelique Kerber, Elina Svitolina and Petra Kvitová to reach the final as a 19-year-old. She lost the final to Emma Raducanu but earned enormous praise for her fighting spirit. Fernandez is known for her aggressive baseline game, acrobatic movement and fierce competitive intensity.
US Open Finalist 2021
At the 2021 US Open she beat four top-10 players — Osaka, Kerber, Svitolina, Kvitová — as a 19-year-old before losing the final to Raducanu.
Did You Know?Career Honours
- US Open Finalist 2021