"I wanted her to stop" - Jorge Fernandez upset his daughter Leylah continued to play her French Open match
WTA
Jorge Fernandez, father and coach of Leylah Fernandez, said he was angry and concerned after seeing his daughter continue to play her French Open quarterfinal match despite being in obvious pain and discomfort.
Fernandez was clearly in pain and discomfort during her clash against Martina Trevisan. Even though the US Open runner-up was clearly struggling on the court, she decided against retiring the match.
Read also
In the end, Fernandez ended up losing in three sets as Trevisan claimed a 6-2 6-7 (3) 6-3 victory. The Canadian aggravated her foot injury by continuing to play and after the match she was diagnosed with a Grade 3 stress stress fracture in the top of her right foot.
"Anger. I was very angry. And very concerned," said Jorge on TSN. "Again, it's very hard because you have both hats on. And of course, as a coach you kind of say like, okay you know what you got yourself into. That's your decision that you're going to make, then go ahead."
Reflecting on the match, Fernandez senior said he wishes to could have spoken to his daughter and tried to "put some sense in her."
"That's one of the problems with the WTA is you don't get a chance to consult our players," added Jorge. "We don't get a chance to call a simple 30 second time-out and see what really is going on. You know, and I know they tried it in the past and just wonder why it stopped because."
"I think, you know, there was moment, you know, where I could've put some sense into her. And maybe instead of it being what it is now, it could've been a little bit less. Of course as a father I'm concerned and sad and I wanted her to stop."
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.
claps 3visitors 3
Just In
Popular News
Latest Comments
- I predicted whenthe list was finalised that Linda Noskova would win the WTA Finals and her matches against Gauff and Kostyuk prove that. She is the best (underrated) player in the world!Rapunzel11-11-2026
- Either Lena has a chronic internal ailment (i.e., colitis, enteritis, Crohn's, or some type of lower abdomen issue) -- or she is once again dealing with 'Vukovitis'. Mental stress can indeed cause lower body pains. No matter... whatever is truly going on sucks. "Virus" excuse is getting a bit old -- and often -- at this point.
mandoist09-11-2026 - Ironically, Martina became a U.S. Citizen about the same time as the Orange Convicted Felon & Abuser was just beginning on his road to losing all Daddy's Millions!!
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
- One step by another step -- WTA continues to 'lose the plot'. Too many hi-tech microphones being installed at most venues!!! Remove them (especially those along the hallways, sidewalks, and pathways throughout the venues. Not to mention (most of all) remove the mic's from the Players/Coaches Box.
mandoist06-11-2026 - Enough of her bullshit. Go marry someone.
mandoist06-11-2026 - Don't you just love this young lady!? We fans often expect athletes to be supermen and superwomen, often forgetting that they WILL GET TIRED! I love Alex's perspective. Tiredness for an athlete should never be viewed as a negative, especially if you are healthy, taking care of your body and mental health and putting in the work. What a mature perspective. Good for you, Alex!Rapunzel05-11-2026







