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Leylah Fernandez has stated that she lost her identity on the tour during the 2023 season and that led to multiple underwhelming results.
Fernandez instilled high hopes among tennis fans following her runner-up finish at the 2021 US Open. However, things have turned pear-shaped for the Canadian since then. She fell to No. 96 in the rankings in June this year, her lowest position in more than two years.
The Canadian struggled in Grand Slam tournaments in 2023, suffering a first-round exit at the US Open and second-round exits at the Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon.
Fernandez had some success in the season's second half, winning titles at the Hong Kong Open and the Billie Jean King Cup. However, she was disappointed at not having improved her overall game, emphasizing the majority of tournaments where she suffered early exits.
"I lost my identity on the tennis court. I wanted to change my tennis, and it didn't help me. I lost a lot in the first and second rounds," Fernandez said as quoted by RDS.
Fernandez went on to acknowledge her father and coach Jorge for identifying her on-court troubles.
"But I'm very lucky to have parents who are honest with me. My father Jorge told me that I was lost on the courts, that I didn't seem to be having fun like before," she continued.
The collapse has, in a way, encouraged the Canadian to train with more confidence for the next season.
"It wasn't a very good season for me. I give myself 4 out of 10 if I can be honest. It gave me a lot of confidence for the pre-season, to start training again and play well, I hope, in 2024," she added.
Leylah Fernandez admits she has "re-discovered the pleasure of playing beautiful tennis"
During the same interaction, Leylah Fernandez admitted that she has now re-discovered the pleasure of playing "beautiful tennis." She highlighted the importance of enjoying the game by playing different shots and having fun on the court.
Fernandez said the realization might have fueled her title run at the Hong Kong Open in October.
"During my training with my father, I began to rediscover the pleasure of playing beautiful tennis. Not just thinking about hitting the ball hard. Having fun playing volleys, drop shots, slices . I think it showed at the end of the year with a singles title," Fernandez said.
Fernandez rallied from a set down to defeat Katerina Siniakova 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 in the Hong Kong Open final. She was last seen in action at the Jiangxi Open, where she suffered a semifinal loss to the same opponent.
Following her strong finish to the season, Leylah Fernandez claimed the No. 35 spot in the year-end rankings. She recorded a win percentage of 61.9% in 2023.
