"Keep dreaming, keep working, keep empowering each other" - Fernandez releases poignant message on National Girls and Women in Sports Day

The first Wednesday of February marks a special day for women and sport, with it being National Girls and Women in Sports Day. Leylah Fernandez made the most of it as she posted an inspirational message on Instagram celebrating the occasion.

The day is the perfect chance to recognise the incredible feats and achievements women have done in sports, focusing the attention on them and gaining respect as more and more women start entering a wide variety of sports ranging on levels.

On Instagram, Fernandez made the most of the occasion with a poignant message. "To every girl watching, playing, or just starting to believe she belongs here... you do!! Women’s sports deserve the spotlight, the respect, and the future we’re building together," she wrote.

"I wouldn’t be here without the women who came before me and the girls who keep dreaming alongside me. Today we celebrate strength, resilience, and the power of believing in ourselves, on and off the court. Keep dreaming, keep working, keep empowering each other."

It is a hugely powerful and motivational message from the 23-year-old who has already achieved so much in tennis thanks to the pathway left for her by her predecessors. Her highlight of her tennis career came when she was just 19 years old when she made it all the way to the 2021 US Open final in an incredible run at Flushing Meadows, losing out to a history making Emma Raducanu.

Since then she has continued to grow and mature as a tennis player, picking up a total of five titles including two in the second half of 2025 including triumphs in the DC Open and Pan Pacific Open.

It is not just Fernandez who is excelling in the women's game. Tennis is one of the most popular sports in the world, and has a huge variety of viewers who watch the WTA Tour on a regular basis around the world. This talent was there to showcase in abundance at the recent Australian Open where Elena Rybakina stormed to the title, defeating the world number one Aryna Sabalenka in a thrilling final with a lot of quality in it.

Other players such as Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff, Amanda Anisimova and Mirra Andreeva have that mix of worlds best talent and youth, a lethal combination which draws more viewers in and motivates more people to get into the sport.

There is also a lot of talent in Canada. Fernandez is currently the Canadian number two thanks to a blistering rise from Victoria Mboko, who thanks to her Canadian Open triumph is now a main stay among the best women tennis players in the world after rising around 300 places in one year alone.

It is not just individuals, but in a team environment where tennis excels. In the Fernandez Instagram post, she shares numerous pictures with fellow tennis players and inspirational figures. A couple of them include their triumph in the Billie Jean King Cup back in 2023, one of her most famous victories in her young tennis career.