Breakout star Leylah Fernandez soars to maiden Grand Slam final with hard-fought win over Sabalenka
WTAFriday, 10 September 2021 at 04:06
The dream run continued for rising star Leylah Fernandez, as the teenager overcame her sternest challenge yet in World No.2 Aryna Sabalenka to advance to the 2021 US Open final.
Fernandez electrified the crowd as she pulled off the 7-6(3) 4-6 6-4 victory, surprising even herself as she hit shots that seemed to come out of nowhere. The Canadian struggled in the first set against the big-hitting Belarusian, but was able to prevail after a tiebreak that saw Fernandez keep her cool as Sabalenka imploded.
Despite losing the first set, the second seed remained focused and was able to obtain the crucial break in the second, dictating play from the baseline as Fernandez scrambled to keep balls in play.
With the match tied at a set apiece, it came down to who wanted it more. The crowd on Arthur Ashe was definitely behind the 19-year old Fernandez, who responded by smiling and encouraging them to cheer her on. The reverse was the case for Sabalenka, who was plagued by inconsistency and double faults the entire match. Although she was vastly more experienced in these high-pressure situation, it was Sabalenka who crumbled as Fernandez claimed the match after a thrilling two hours and 21 minutes of play.
With only one more victory left to cap her Cinderella run, the World No.73 will face either 17th seed Maria Sakkari or outstanding British qualifier Emma Raducanu, as both women will battle it out for a spot in the final.
Growing up in a household where soccer was king, my earliest memories are filled with chants from packed stadiums and the rhythm of a ball being passed across neighborhood streets. But somewhere along the way, the quiet elegance and raw emotion of tennis pulled me in. What began as a curiosity became a lifelong passion; not just for the sport itself, but for the stories it tells: of grit, of heartbreak, of improbable comebacks and human resilience.
As a tennis writer, I bring the observational lens of someone who didn’t grow up in the sport, but fell in love with it as an outsider; a perspective that lets me see both its technical beauty and its emotional depth. Over the years working with TennisUpToDate, I’ve had the privilege of reaching more than 3.5 million readers worldwide, with one of my features ranking among the site’s top three articles.
With a background in storytelling and a creative mind always searching for meaning beyond the scoreboard, I aim to craft narratives that go deeper than results and rankings. Whether it’s a rising star breaking through or a veteran fighting off Father Time, I try to capture the heartbeat behind the headlines.
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- I love WTA matches. Seek them out as much as possible on youtube and other platforms I already subscribe to. With that in mind, I do not wish to pay $$$ to a notoriously slippery subscription conglomerate sports broadcaster (like SkySports) just for the privilege to watch it and the tnt/eurosport/discovery subscription went from $$ to $$$+ annually in a blink of an eye. With ATP I have been begrudgingly paying xyz tennis only channel and try to catch up on slams elsewhere (pubs, youtube with USO later on games are just as enjoyable to watch and a smart move to upload on their official channel) but they don't cover WTA. I tried another Tennis dedicated channel that advertised originally as broadcasting where I live, but turned out, they took the money, but didn't cover the matches (only fluff/filler value documentaries). I don't understand why it is so hard to not lock the live matches to one broadcaster only refusing so many people who are happy to pay for the privilege just not through that one entry point. WTA is so exciting for the last few years and they really should capitalise on it as much as possible. And I know it is somewhat naive talking without knowing the inner works, but not being able to find any WTA other than youtube (and then only highlights mostly) is just so frustrating.JayJay11-09-2026
- Clearly not AI :-)
AceOfBase11-09-2026 - Oh my God!! Does anyone proofread these pages??? Case in point: However, the question mark over the 32-years-old head......???? No! No! No! However, the question mark over the 32-year-old's head...good grief man, hire a proofreader. This article is rife with errors making some sentences very difficult to read. I had to stop. I am a proofreader hence my disgust.Rapunzel10-09-2026
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- Looks like tennis has become a part of the American Oligarchy. As usual, Pegula is given a cupcake draw. With all her money, they have to fixed the draws in her favor in order to raised the trophy.crissy09-09-2026
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- No one else would get away with this but these AMERCANS! It’s the US Open!! In America!! But sure, go off American ;)DaveyWavey08-09-2026
- WOW !!! Her comebacks have been intense. She's Baaaaack!
mandoist08-09-2026 - Don't lay this shitshow on "Americans". It is a long-running Ego trip with WTA allowing these two Elitists 'in need of a Camera' illicit Wildcards. If these two clowns want to "perform" -- then play the qualies.mandoist08-09-2026
- Here we go again…. Different rules for Americans! Especially THESE Americans. Yuck!DaveyWavey07-09-2026
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