"I want to have that stability, we need to have those resources" - Leylah Fernandez urges athletes to invest in their financial literacy

Leylah Fernandez is no ordinary 20-year-old. She is ranked among the top tennis players in the world. She’s won two WTA titles and was a U.S. Open finalist in 2021.

But Fernandez is also making a name for herself off the court – and she’s passionate about financial literacy.

This week, Fernandez was in New York as Morgan Stanley and the WTA announced a new, multi-year global partnership. The program fosters inclusivity and expands access to the game of tennis. In addition, the partnership will include financial literacy and planning resources for players.

“Morgan Stanley’s partnership with the WTA is a great step forward for women’s sports in general. I love to see companies that support women’s sports because there is so much that we can do together and improve together,” Fernandez, a brand ambassador for Morgan Stanley, told CNBC in an interview Wednesday.

Fernandez said many of her fellow competitors worry about having a career-ending injury and not knowing what to do. The Morgan Stanley program will help prepare them, she added.

“We’re focused on tennis our whole lives. That’s the only thing that we know, but it’s not something we can always depend on. I want to have that stability, that thought that everything is going to be all right and we need to have those resources,” she said.

Given her link to Morgan Stanley, Fernandez said she feels an added responsibility to not only ask financial questions for her own good, but to encourage others on tour to have that same confidence as well.

“It would be great if we can have conferences to open the conversation in a healthy environment where WTA players are comfortable speaking their minds," she added. "I think the difficulty is we want to be perceived as strong and that we know everything, but we don’t.”