The greatest strength of Leylah Fernandez

We have been waiting for months, even years, to see that version of Leylah Fernández that charmed us at the 2021 US Open. Nearly four seasons have passed, and this mission is still ongoing, although at least the Canadian has managed to secure a spot in the top 50 where her position can fluctuate depending on the current tour. So far, in this American summer tour, things couldn't have started better for her, advancing to the semifinals of the WTA 500 in Washington. Significant victories against Maya Joint, Jessica Pegula, and Taylor Townsend will allow her to fight tonight to advance to the grand final, as long as Elena Rybakina allows it.

But before the big battle against the Kazakh, with whom she has a tied H2H record of 1-1, we wanted to share a little anecdote that Leylah herself revealed in her last press conference. Of course, considering her build and height, no one expects her to dominate on the court like a Sabalenka or a Serena, but that doesn't mean there aren't other paths to success. For example, speed and mentality. These two aspects came together in a chapter of her childhood that is worth remembering today.

"Since I was little, we all knew that I would never be the tallest player on the circuit, but we realized that I could be quite fast," Fernández shared with the press yesterday. "As a result, let me tell you a separate anecdote, a fun story. When I started playing tennis, there was a mini-camp where they were conducting physical tests, a sort of sprint competition in a straight line. Probably, I would say that I was the slowest of all the girls there," she says with a smile.

"The coaches were a bit concerned about me, thinking that maybe I couldn't be strong physically. So they spoke with my parents, mentioned the issue, and they responded as follows: 'You might have a point, but if you put a tennis ball in front of her and ask her to run after it over and over again, I assure you she will. Her heart and her self-belief are much greater than those of most girls at this camp,' her dad pointed out immediately.

"That story has always been very present in my mind; I remind myself of it many times. I would say it has been crucial in this whole process. Every time I do any kind of exercise, knowing that I will never be the tallest girl in the room, or the strongest, or even the fastest of all of them, what is clear is the strong mentality, the confidence I find in myself. That is what enables me to reach so many balls on the court," proudly stated the US Open runner-up.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, La mayor fortaleza de Leylah Fernández