"I dreamed of it, that little girl from back then" - Fernandez recalls career milestones, including 2021 US Open runner-up finish

Canadian tennis star Leylah Fernandez looked back on some of her favorite moments encapsulated in photos in a video posted by the WTA on its social media accounts.

Fernandez, who lost to Emma Raducanu in the 2021 US Open final, chose some special memories to share – from spending Christmas with her family and picking pumpkins with her sister to winning her first professional title and reaching her first Grand Slam final in New York.

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Choosing a photo in which she was holding her US Open runner-up trophy, the Canadian ace said that it was a special moment that she, as a little girl, dreamed of. She had a few words to say, too, to the younger version of herself.

"That was a special moment, something that every little girl dreamed of. I dreamed of it, that little girl from back then. Just, like, telling that little girl that everything's okay. You see, you achieved your dreams. Just keep going a little bit more. One day, you'll be there," said Fernandez.

With a little self-belief, that little girl who dreamed of winning the US Open eventually won her first professional title in the $25,000 ITF World Tennis Tour event in Gatineau three years ago. It was a double victory for Fernandez, who also took home the women's doubles crown with partner Rebecca Marino.

"That was a few years ago when I won my first 25K. I won singles and doubles so it was a special week. I truly believed that I was able to play against these players and just improved, and then seeing the results were coming in made me more and more confident," she said.

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The Canadian also shared photos of fun times spent with her family, starting the video with a photo of herself with her dad at Christmas.

That is probably one of my favorite pictures," she added. "I don't even know how old I was. It was around Christmas. We were hanging around in the living room. I was just hugging my dad and my mom came out with the picture. We were both smiling and hugging so it was fun."