“Staying healthy and breaking into top-10”: Leylah Fernandez discusses high hopes for 2025 season

Leylah Fernandez discussed her goals for the season following her opening-round victory at the Australian Open against Yulia Starodubtseva (World No. 100). The 2021 US Open finalist has set high ambitions for 2025, aiming to break into the top 10 by the year’s end.

The Canadian maintained steady performance throughout last season, consistently ranking within the top 35 and reaching a career-high of World No. 23. Although she didn’t secure any titles, Fernandez reached the final of the WTA 500 Eastbourne International and made two WTA 1000 quarterfinal appearances.

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Fernandez is determined to climb higher in the rankings this year and surpass her career-best World No. 13, achieved in 2022 shortly after her runner-up finish at Flushing Meadows. Speaking at a press conference, Fernandez shared her clear goal-setting mindset: “I’m a goal-setter type of person.”

“We always set goals at the beginning of the year. For me, it’s to end the year healthy—that’s always important,” she stated. “Talking about results, it would be to finish in the top 10 by year-end and consistently reach the second week at Grand Slams and WTA 1000 tournaments.”

Fernandez has yet to advance past the second round in Melbourne, having exited at this stage in consecutive years. Seeking to break this streak at the Happy Slam, she will face Spain’s Cristina Bucas (World No. 101), who defeated Chloe Paquet (World No. 123) 6-4, 6-3 in her first-round match.

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