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Leylah Fernandez shared her honest feelings about her 2025 season after winning the Citi Open title. The Canadian is currently gearing up for competing at the National Bank Open.
Fernandez recently won her first tournament of the 2025 season by delivering a staunch performance at the Citi Open finals. After defeating top-notch athletes, including Jessica Pegula, Taylor Townsend, Elena Rubakina, and more, she made her way to the final round, where she squared off against Anna Kalinskaya. The 22-year-old dominated the clash and earned a straight two-set win of 6-1, 6-2.
Ahead of this win, the 2025 season wasn't going as expected for Fernandez, as she mostly faced early exits and didn't win any tournament, nor did she reach any finals. Reflecting on this, she recently made an honest admission about her season in the Canadian Open press conference. Admitting that her year before winning the Citi Open title wasn't great, she said:
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"You can be honest. You can say the rest of the year hasn't been great (laughing). It's been pretty sh*t, to be honest (laughing)," said Leylah Fernandez.
Further talking about her performance at the Citi Open and what changed in this tournament, she revealed that the environment was good and she was enjoying herself a lot more during this event.
"I guess in Washington it's been just a good week overall. I've been working very hard for a long time. You know, it started with just good environment, good vibes with the team members, having dinner with the other Canadian girls that were at the tournament. So it was always good environment from the beginning. Then on court I was just enjoying myself a lot more, and I was able to play well in front of a big crowd. So, yeah, I guess everything just clicked in that week, and hopefully continues on for Montreal," she added.
Fernandez will be locking horns with Maya Joint in the first round of the Canadian Open on July 29, 2025, at the Centre Court.
Leylah Fernandez dedicated her Citi Open win to her mother and older sister with an emotional message
On July 27, Leylah Fernandez produced a dominant display against Anna Kalinskaya and nabbed the first win of her season. Following this win, she dedicated the trophy to her mother, Irene, her oldest sister, Jodeci, and her fitness trainer, Abdul Sillah, while giving the winner's speech. Thanking them for supporting her and fighting for her since the entire season, she said:
"I want to dedicate this trophy to my mom, my oldest sister, and my fitness trainer. You guys have been fighting all year round and still are fighting. Thank you so much for never giving up on me. Don’t give up on yourselves. This trophy is for you guys. Hopefully we can celebrate all together very very soon," Leylah Fernandez said.
Along with the Citi Open win being Leylah Fernandez's season's first win, it was also her first WTA 500-level victory, making it one of her biggest achievements since turning pro.
