The new queen of Washington: Leylah Fernandez wins DC Open with rampant final win over Anna Kalinskaya

Leylah Fernandez has won the biggest title of her career surging past Anna Kalinskaya in a 6-1, 6-2 win at the DC Open in Washington on Sunday evening.

Fernandez claims the biggest points haul since she reached the final of the 2021 US Open and is now poised to return to the top 25 of the WTA Rankings after winning her first title since Hong Kong in 2023.

While for Kalinskaya, it is once again another poor defeat in a final. She lost close finals in Berlin and Dubai last year and still doesn't have a WTA title despite a superb week. While she can take some real solace from a great week in DC, it is not the title she yearns for.

Perhaps that is the difference with Fernandez getting over the hump on multiple occasions now while Kalinskaya has not. But both now move onto Canada after surging up the rankings and prevailing after a resurgence from both over the course of the week.

In what was a clash between former top 20 players, Fernandez breezed past Kalinskaya losing just three games to win her fourth career WTA singles title. Amid storms in the American capital, she dodged those to win the title in just one hour and nine minutes. She is the first Canadian woman to win the title.

She also averts a title drought of sorts hoisting her most recent title back in 2023 in Hong Kong. She also has not reached a final since the grass courts of Eastbourne back last year where she lost to Daria Kasatkina. But while she came into the final semi on the back foot after playing a lot of tennis this week she was the fresher of the two.

She showed sheer grit throughout her run outlasting Elena Rybakina yesterday after being match point down in a three hour 12 minute epic and it seemed the luck was on her side as she eased through the final after such a back and for the week. Kalinskaya had not dropped a set going into the final. But the narrative was there as she had not yet won a title. Something which continues to haunt her. Also she was poor in the opening set which set the trend.

Fernandez held after an early break point went the way of Kalinskaya and she was superb for the rest of the set. Kalinskaya dropped her serve immediately in the next game and Fernandez surged away winning five games in a row for a set lead. She sealed it with a drop shot after just 30 minutes. But while Kalinskaya can be forgiven for a 6-1 slump which is common place in women's tennis often with. a back and forth nature, she didn't wake up as Fernandez got stronger.

She saw Fernandez ease to victory converting four out of six break points in the match and she never dropped serve. Truly unstoppable from the former US Open finalist while Kalinskaya will be wondering what do I have to do to win a title. Both will take confidence forward though into the next few weeks.

Ironically both were due to start their campaigns tomorrow in Canada but of course have been given Tuesday starts as a result of the run in at Washington in another scheduling issue. With Cincinnati and then the US Open up next, it will be a tough turnaround. Can Fernandez, Kalinskaya and even Raducanu who lost in the semi-finals continue to figure in the conversation? Time will tell. One thing is for sure Fernandez has this week and is champion in Washington.