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Leylah Fernandez recently made her feelings known about how she handles her relationship with her father, Jorge Fernandez, who is also her coach. The Canadian is now gearing up for her upcoming event of the 2025 tennis season.
Fernandez recently concluded her Citi Open campaign, where she delivered stunning performances and defeated top-notch players, including Jessica Pegula, Elena Rybakina, Taylor Townsend, and more, to reach the finals. She proved her dominance by claiming an impressive 6-1, 6-2 win over her opponent, Anna Kalinskaya, and winning the title.
Following this win, she sat for a press conference, where she fielded questions surrounding the ins and outs of her relationship with her father as her coach. She opened up about when she thinks about her father as her coach and when she is back to being his daughter. Revealing how both of them have found balance in handling these roles.
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"I think right now, I'm able to separate both. So I say like here in the press conference, coach and dad, because I don't know if a lot of people know that he's also my dad. When I'm on court, I think of him as my coach. When I do interviews now, I'm talking to him, mentioning him more as my coach. But off court, during dinner, he's my dad. I can talk to him for hours, talk shit, and just be okay with it. Eh, I think at the moment, again, we have found a balance where once we're in the stadium, on court, in the facilities, it's work," said Leylah Fernandez.
She added:
"So I'm going to see him as a coach. He's going to see me as a player. You know, whatever instructions he tells me, I have to execute it as if I'm working with any other coach. When I'm off court or when I'm back at the hotel and work is finally done in the evening, we enjoy each other's company. I see him as a dad. I get to talk to him about the family, ask him how's work doing, right? It's funny, huh?"
Fernandez will next be seen competing at the Canadian Open, slated to begin on July 28, 2025, where she will be locking horns with Maya Joint in the first round.
Leylah Fernandez revealed her father as one of the reasons behind her recent dating offer to fans
On July 18, 2025, Leylah Fernandez took the internet by surprise by posting a video about being open to dating but not trusting dating apps. To experience a dating life, she invited her fans and followers to send their details through DM, stating that she was looking to go out on a date in Montreal.
In a recent press conference of the Citi Open, she was asked about the reason behind her recent stint, and replying to this, the Canadian player said that people couldn't approach her due to her father's appearance. Revealing how this led to her taking the first step, Leylah Fernandez said:
"I mean, I think, one, a lot of people think I'm very focused in tennis, and I am. I am very focused in tennis. Sometimes they think, okay, I can't approach her and ask her out, and it doesn't help that my dad also doesn't look that welcoming. He's very welcoming. Don't get me wrong."
"He's very welcoming. He's funny to be around with, but the initial, like, picture of him is not that great. So I feel like sometimes I kind of had to do the first step, like, Guys, I want to experience this. Help me out a little bit," she added while laughing.
With the Citi Open win, Leylah Fernandez earned her first victory of the 2025 season.
