Canadian teen sensation
Leylah Fernandez made a return to tennis at the BNP Paribas Open in
Indian Wells showing a desire for improvement after a brutal loss at the US Open.
The Canadian broke out properly at the 2021 US Open taking down multiple seeds before bowing out to another teen sensation, Raducanu, in the final. Fernandez however had a better bounceback than Raducanu in the desert reaching the 4th round before losing to native Shelby Rogers. Even with those two losses, Fernandez is happy to go through it saying:
“I’m very grateful for what has happened this year and especially
this past month. I’ve been working very hard for the past couple of years trying to
get used to the WTA tour, getting the experience, getting the matches
in."
Fernandez understands that her career is only at the beginning and that she will have plenty of time to fulfil her goals. Even so, she is determined to improve:
“Every time I get on the practice court I always try to find a way to
improve something. I’m glad that the past month it’s been going well
for me. So, I’m not that surprised that the results have been coming in.
But, now is the time to regroup, forget about the past and get ready for
the next tournament.”
She was also asked if the US Open run changed her to which she responded:
“I always see myself as a tennis player. Even before the US Open. I still have a lot to prove, a lot to do on the tennis court. I’m always hungry to get the results, to train harder and to work harder for the next time.”