"There were maybe over 100 messages" - Leylah Fernandez announces her DMs are open ahead of 2025 Canadian Open

Thursday, 24 July 2025 at 13:16

Although several WTA stars are heading to the Canadian Open with the aim of winning the title, home favorite Leylah Fernandez might be going back to Montreal looking for love.

The WTA 1000 event often sees top stars battle it out for the prestigious title. The tournament is frequented by thousands of fans and even celebrities, and it comes as no surprise that the 22-year old will fancy her chances of meeting someone special during the fan-favorite event.

Fernandez is currently competing at the DC Open, where she defeated rising Australian star Maya Joint in her opening round match. Up next for the Montreal native is top seed Jessica Pegula, who is the two-time defending champion at the Canadian Open.

Following her win over Joint, Fernandez shocked the tennis community by announcing her DMs were open in the hopes of meeting someone special in Montreal. Furthermore, she revealed it would be her very first date were she to meet someone.

Any suitor would have to deal with her father, says Fernandez

"There’ve been a lot of responses,” said the former World No.13. “I think the first day, there were maybe over 100 messages. I’ve got a lot of options.
"My dad point blank asked me if I’d gone on a date yet, and I told him I hadn’t. I’ve never really had the time, and no one’s really asked me, which, I don’t know why! He suggested I post a video on Instagram and have a date in Montréal where you feel at home and you feel comfortable."

However, there would be one condition, revealed Fernandez. The potential date would have to meet her father, Jorge Fernandez, to which Leylah readily agreed.

The 2021 US Open runner-up disclosed some of the messages of support she had received from colleagues, who empathized with her plight.

"I got responses from other athletes, including ones I went to the Olympics with, and they told me, ‘I know how you feel,’ or, ‘When I was 22, I hadn’t gone on a date yet, either,’" said Fernandez. "At this age, we’re all either studying or going to sports competitions, so reading those messages not only makes me feel better and like I’m not the odd one out, but it’s also pretty cool that we’re able to have those conversations together."

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Arthur Ajayi

Growing up in a household where soccer was king, my earliest memories are filled with chants from packed stadiums and the rhythm of a ball being passed across neighborhood streets. But somewhere along the way, the quiet elegance and raw emotion of tennis pulled me in. What began as a curiosity became a lifelong passion; not just for the sport itself, but for the stories it tells: of grit, of heartbreak, of improbable comebacks and human resilience.

As a tennis writer, I bring the observational lens of someone who didn’t grow up in the sport, but fell in love with it as an outsider; a perspective that lets me see both its technical beauty and its emotional depth. Over the years working with TennisUpToDate, I’ve had the privilege of reaching more than 3.5 million readers worldwide, with one of my features ranking among the site’s top three articles.

With a background in storytelling and a creative mind always searching for meaning beyond the scoreboard, I aim to craft narratives that go deeper than results and rankings. Whether it’s a rising star breaking through or a veteran fighting off Father Time, I try to capture the heartbeat behind the headlines.

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