'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
World No. 24 Leylah Fernandez was one of the breakout stars in women's tennis this year, climbing 64 spots in the WTA rankings. The Canadian won the WTA 250 Monterrey Open and finished as the runner-up at the US Open.
Leylah Fernandez also became the third woman in the Open Era to beat three of the top five seeds at Flushing Meadows. For her achievements, Leylah Fernandez has been honored with the 2021 Bobbie Rosenfeld Award by the Canadian Press.
Sports editors across Canada cast their votes to decide the award for the best female athlete of the year. Last year, the award went to footballer Christine Sinclair who became the all-time leading goal-scorer in international matches.
Leylah Fernandez is the sixth tennis player to receive the award. The last tennis player to win the award was former US Open champion Bianca Andreescu in 2019. The other women in the list are Carling Bassett-Seguso (1983,1985), Helen Kelesi (1989,1990), Aleksandra Wozniak (1990) and Eugenie Bouchard (2013,2014).
The 18-year-old received 12 of the 45 votes cast this year to finish ahead of swimmers Penny Oleksiak (10) and Maggie Mac Neil (10).
Fernandez said she felt honored to find herself next to women she had looked up to. She thanked them for contributing to the growth of women's sports in Canada.
"I’m very honored to be amongst these athletes who’ve done so much for women’s sports and even outside of their sports," Fernandez said. "I’ve seen how much [last year's winner] Christine Sinclair has accomplished. I’m honored to have my name right beside her’s.”
Fernandez also took to Twitter to thank everyone who stood by her during her memorable journey in 2021.
"Wow. Thank you for all the support this year," Fernandez wrote on Twitter.
Leylah Fernandez also won Tennis Canada's 2021 Sportswoman of the Year Award
Earlier this month, Fernandez was awarded Tennis Canada's Excellence Award for the Best Female Player of the Year.
Furthermore, she also received the Singles Player of the Year Award and the Most Improved Player Award for the 2021 season from Tennis Canada.
Michael Downey, Tennis Canada's president and CEO, extended his congratulations to Leylah Fernandez on her felicitation by the Canadian Press. He was confident that more youngsters will be inspired by her achievements to take up the sport in the future.
Leylah Fernandez is the real deal," Downey said. "She will inspire the next generation of young players across the country through the rest of this decade and beyond.”
