On the WTA side of the 2025 Mubadala Citi DC Open draw, 22-year-old Canadian star Leylah Fernandez picked up a dominant win over former world No. 11 Anna Kalinskaya to capture her fourth career WTA singles title.
As the WTA tour prepares to head to Montreal for the National Bank Open Presented by Rogers, here are five fast facts you need to know about Leylah Fernandez.
#1:She Credits Football (Soccer) With Being Her First Love
GettyLeylah Fernandez rips a forehand at the 2025 Mubadala Citi DC Open.
While Leylah Fernandez’s win over Anna Kalinskaya marked the fourth title of her young career, the new world No. 24 fell in love with football (soccer) at a young age.
Back in 2022, Fernandez revealed in an interview with Forbes that as a kid, she fell in love with football:
“I started sports by playing soccer. It was my first sport and in some ways my first love. I remember watching (Canadian soccer legend) Christine Sinclair at a young age, and taking in her commitment and dedication, watching her as a player throughout the years.”
#2: Her Sister Is Also A Pro Tennis Player
GettyLeylah Fernandez and her sister, Bianca Fernandez, compete in doubles.
Leylah Fernandez’s younger sister, Bianca Fernandez, is also on the WTA tour. In 2023 she reached a career high of No. 606 in the world in singles, however, on the doubles side, she’s currently ranked No. 189 in the world.
Additionally, for Bianca’s main-draw debut on the WTA tour, the two sisters played doubles together at the Monterrey Open.
Last summer, during an interview with Match Point Canada, Bianca spoke about what it’s like following in the steps of her older sister
“There’s many pros. … I believe that the schools that wanted me, [it’s] also because of my tennis but [also], they know how good Leylah is, and the fact that I’ve trained with her, I’ve competed with her. So I feel like that also gave me a slight edge, especially after my gap year. … She also shields me from a lot of comments and a lot of pressure because all the pressure goes on her.”
#3: Both Sisters Are Coached by Their Dad, Who Is a Former Semi-Pro Footballer
GettyLeylah Fernandez and her sister are both coached by their father.
Both Leylah Fernandez and her younger sister Bianca are both coached by their father, Jorge Fernandez. According to a New York Times article from 2021, Jorge Fernandez was born in Ecuador, but wound up growing up in Montreal, where he played semi-pro football.
Despite never having played tennis, he wound up coaching both Leylah and her sister.
The father-daughter duo went viral earlier this month when they tried to recreate a TikTok trend:
#4: She’s Never Been On A Date, But Plans To Change That
GettyLeylah Fernandez celebrates a point at the Citi DC Open.
Leading up to the 2025 Mubadala Citi DC Open, Leylah Fernandez put out a video on Instagram telling her fans and followers that she was opening her DMs.
As she explained, her dad asked her point blank if she had ever been on a date, and when she said no, he suggested turning to social media. The only catch is that whoever winds up taking Fernandez out during the Montreal Open will have to meet her father first.
Last we heard, Fernandez is still sifting through DMs from potential suitors.
#5: She Won Her First WTA Tour Singles Title Without Dropping a Set at 18-Years-Old
GettyLeylah Fernandez celebrates her Billie Jean King Cup win.
Back in 2021, one year after reaching her first WTA final as a 17-year-old, an 18-year-old Leylah Fernandez won her first WTA title in Monterrey.
Throughout the tournament, Fernandez didn’t drop a single set, and in the final, she coasted past Switzerland’s Viktorija Golubic, 6-1, 6-4.
Following the match, Tennis.com quoted Fernandez as saying:
“Last year I lost in the finals at Acapulco, and this year I was able to again get to the finals in Monterrey, and I just tried to do my best. I tried to use the emotions I felt last year this year so I could get the win, and it definitely helped today.”
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