Leylah Fernandez is one of many young stars on the WTA Tour looking to take her game to the next level.
The Canadian made her presence felt in 2021 when she reached the final of the US Open at 19 years of age, losing to Emma Raducanu.
Leylah Fernandez has been somewhat inconsistent since then and she has yet to break into the WTA’s top 10.
While she aims to keep growing as a player, the world number 36 once shared why her coaches were worried about her as a junior player.
Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty ImagesLeylah Fernandez says coaches were concerned about her physicality in her junior days
Fernandez is one of the toughest opponents on tour due to the fact that she is left-handed and one of the quicker players on the WTA Tour.
However, this was not always the case as Fernandez told reporters at the Citi Open that she was much slower as a junior and coaches were worried she did not have the physicality to develop into an elite player.
But Fernandez has proved them wrong and she explained what she tells herself each time she works on her fitness. “I think because we knew I wasn’t going to be the tallest player, but we did know that I was fairly quick,” she said.
“Little side note, funny story. When I first started playing tennis, there was like a mini camp and they were doing a physical test, kind of a straight-line sprint. I was probably the slowest out of all of the girls there.
“The coaches were concerned, like she’s not very good physically. They talked to my parents, and my parents said, Yeah, but if you put a tennis ball in front of her and you ask her to run for every ball, she’s gonna do it.
“Her heart and her belief in herself is much bigger than most of the girls in that camp. So, you know, I just kind of remind myself that that’s the key.
“Every time I’m doing fitness, knowing that I’m not going to be bigger, stronger, faster than most girls, I know if I have the right mindset and right belief in myself, I can kind of get to a lot of the balls on court.”
Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty ImagesLeylah Fernandez reaches first WTA semifinal of the season
Fernandez has struggled for form at times this season, but she has found her range in Washington D.C.
She began the tournament with a comprehensive win over Eastbourne champion Maya Joint, before upsetting Jessica Pegula in the second round.
Fernandez backed up that victory by defeating Taylor Townsend, which set up a clash with Elena Rybakina for a spot in the final.
“It definitely feels good to reach a semi,” Fernandez said after her quarterfinal. “I think it’s been a while since I have reached a semis, almost a year.
“So for me, it’s a good steppingstone. I see that the work that I have been doing all year is paying off now. We wish it would have paid off earlier, but we can’t really complain.
“We have to take it one match at a time, one moment at a time, and stay present, enjoy our time, enjoy the good vibes that we’re feeling in D.C.”