"One teacher told me you'll never make it" reveals Leylah Fernandez after officially 'making it'

Leylah Fernandez officialy made it as a tennis player as she will contest her first grand slam final later today. Should Fernandez win the trophy she will enter elite company of players winning it before the age of 20. Not all have been convicned of her talentes though as she revealed following her win over Sabalenka:

“A lot of people doubted me, my family and my dreams. They kept saying no, that I’m not going to be a professional tennis player, that I should stop and just pursue going to school. I remember one teacher, which was actually very funny – at the time it wasn’t but now I’m laughing. She told me to stop playing tennis, you will never make it, and just focus on school."

Fernandez revealed that hearing that did not bring her down but rather inspired her to keep going. She said:

“You know what, I’m just glad that she told me that because every day I have that phrase in my head saying that I’m going to keep going, I’m going to push through and I’m going to prove to her everything that I’ve dreamed of I’m going to achieve them.”

Proving to have a funny side Fernandez joked with reporters about the secret formula that has made Canadian tennis a powerhouse in the past several years. She simply said 'maple syrup.