"It goes from one ear and out the other" - Leylah Fernandez on how she handles negative criticism

Canadian tennis star Leylah Fernandez spoke about how she deals with criticism and negative comments.

While speaking to the WTA for their "The Real Me" series, the 2021 US Open runner-up said that she and her team have a rule of never reading an article about herself. Even if she hears a negative comment, she doesn't dwell on it.

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"We've actually had this one rule to never ever read an article about myself," revealed Fernandez. "Whatever comes out, it comes out. So, I try not to read about it and even if I do hear a negative comment, it goes from one ear and out the other. I don't try to dwell on it too much."

The 20-year-old said the biggest negative comment about her was one stating she wasn't fast or strong enough and her game would not work against bigger players.

"I think the biggest one was 'I'm too short, I'm not fast enough, not strong enough, not powerful enough, and that my tennis game, my style of game will not work against bigger players," she added. "So those comments that were very repetitive over the course of the year, people would say that I would not be able to achieve my goals because I was too small and that in the next level, it was not going to work."

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The Canadian also said that hearing negative comments fueled herself and her family to prove naysayers wrong.

"Just hearing that has always fueled me but not just me but also my family around me, like, whatever those people are saying, take it and we're gonna prove them wrong," she said.