
Leylah Fernandez may have stunned the world with her spectacular runner-up performance at the US Open, but the Canadian believes she still has a lot to work on before she can truly compete with the elite.
The Canadian began the 2021 season ranked World No.88, but saw a significant rise in the rankings that saw her finish 24th in the world after winning her maiden WTA title in Monterrey and reaching the US Open final. However, the 19-year old still has lofty goals and believes she needs to get better at every aspect of her game if she were to win a Grand Slam and become World No.1.
"I have to improve my whole game," Fernandez told ESPN Sports Latin America. "Improve my forehand, my serve, my volley, everything by two or three percent to be among the [top] ten in the [world] ranking, among the [top] five, and one day at number one and win a Grand Slam.
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“I still can’t accept that [US Open] defeat, but I learned what I can teach the world and that I can play against the greats.”
When asked about her return to the Monterrey Open in 2022, Fernandez said “I am happy to play this tournament again, it is important to me. Mexico is like my second home, in Monterrey I won my first title.”
The World No.24 took a break from tennis after Indian Wells, but will be making her return at the Adelaide International I in January.
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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mandoist09-11-2026 - "Another fresh start is in the cards." Thanks for the Humor!! I'm guessing this is the minimum one can do to keep all your sponsors hanging-on in perpetuity?
mandoist09-11-2026 - Vukov is doing this to Lena... AGAIN!!!!! WTA's autonomous collective should be dismantled for allowing Vukov to re-emerge from his hand-slapping suspension. Just ask WTA employees how that's been going lately as they witness his continued verbal abuses. Women's Pro Tennis should start over.
mandoist08-11-2026 - Can't help but suspect Vukov is back to his old self again. Thank you, WTA. Perhaps you can give them a "Battling Couple of the Year Award 2026" ??
mandoist08-11-2026 - Wtf? Why is there no reason? And what about the men's?Bel08-11-2026
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mandoist06-11-2026 - Enough of her bullshit. Go marry someone.
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