Leylah Fernandez finds at home the version she has been looking for

Many years have passed since Leylah Fernandez stepped onto that US Open final. Since then, the circuit has revealed to us that such a performance will be very difficult to repeat, although any tournament can be the perfect opportunity to enjoy the best version of the Canadian again.

In this WTA 1000 in Toronto, just yesterday, we witnessed a memorable performance from the Canadian, necessary to crush Mirra Andreeva in the third round. A match that reminded us of all the tennis she has within her when she combines accuracy and confidence in her wrist. Now the challenge multiplies, pushing her to face Naomi Osaka in the round of 16, a very interesting test to see if Leylah is ready to take down another world top 15 in just a few days. 

“I knew it was going to be a physical match. The key for me was to stay positive, strong, and continue to be patient,” she explained after her duel against the Russian. Andreeva, a Roland Garros champion and current member of the elite, was not going to give away too many opportunities, which is why Fernandez decided not to rush, accept the long exchanges, and wait for her moment. “I trusted my abilities and kept playing my tennis throughout the match,” she summarized.

This victory holds special value because it comes after weeks in which the Canadian had shown a level in training that didn’t always appear when the matches began. “I have been training very well, very hard. In practice sets, I have always played well, but executing the same things in matches is different,” she acknowledged. Therefore, the victory not only allows her to advance in Toronto: it also serves as a boost of confidence. And the setting is not coincidental.

Fernandez is the only Canadian remaining in the draw and is playing in front of family and friends, with a crowd that has become an additional source of energy. “I have a lot of motivation this week. Coming back to the place where it all started, playing in front of them, having fun, laughing... all this means so much to me,” she said.

Embracing nerves to believe again

The Canadian also spoke about one of the great keys to her mental growth: stopping the fight against emotions. “There’s an athlete who said that all the emotions I feel are because I care, and that makes me feel alive,” she explained. Fernandez has learned to accept nerves, pressure, and the responsibility of playing at home as part of the process, instead of trying to eliminate them. That mindset particularly surfaced when Andreeva reacted in the second set. 

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“Mirra is a fighter; she is top 10 for a reason, top 5 for a reason, she has won a Grand Slam for a reason,” she pointed out. Instead of looking to close points quickly, Fernandez returned to her roots. “I have trained a lot since I was young to be consistent, hitting a hundred balls in a row. If it takes a hundred hits to break her, let it be a hundred.”

There are also new developments in her team. The recent addition of Eric Hechtman still needs time to be assessed, although Fernandez highlights her understanding with her father. “He doesn’t try to change my game, but to add things and make me believe a little more in it, especially in tight moments,” she concluded in a press conference.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Leylah Fernandez encuentra en casa la versión que estaba buscando