HERTOGENSBOSCH
Just a few days remain before Team Canada takes to the court in Biel to face Switzerland in their Fed Cup Qualifier. The winner will advance to the inaugural Fed Cup Finals in Budapest.
But, how much do you really know about the team? Here, we provide you all the information you need about Bianca, Genie, Gaby and Leylah ahead of this week’s tie.
Bianca Andreescu
Age: 19
From: Mississauga, Ontario
Fed Cup ties played: 8
The reigning Indian Wells, Rogers Cup presented by National Bank and US Open champion, Bianca Andreescu will have been familiar to any Canadian tennis fan who has followed our Fed Cup team in recent years even prior to her success in 2019.
She holds an impressive record of 10-3 in Fed Cup action, including a 7-3 record in singles and a perfect 3-0 in doubles. Her starring role in Canada’s 4-0 victory over the Netherlands last year, in which she won two singles rubbers in straight sets, is arguably her greatest Fed Cup moment to date.
Fun fact: Bianca’s pet dog Coco has become somewhat of a celebrity in the past 12 months. The 19-year-old rarely goes anywhere without the pup, who is frequently front and centre of the Grand Slam champion’s social media posts.
Genie Bouchard
Age: 25
From: Montreal, Quebec
Fed Cup ties played: 10
Genie Bouchard is no stranger to playing on the biggest stage. In 2014, at just 19-years-old, she finished the year having reached the Australian Open and French Open semi-finals as well as the final of Wimbledon. That earned her the WTA award for Most Improved Player that year.
In Fed Cup, Bouchard played her first tie in 2011, winning one and losing one of her rubbers against Slovenia. Her most recent outing for Canada saw her claim crucial wins in singles matches against Lesia Tsurenko and Kateryna Bondarenko respectively to lead the team to a dramatic 3-2 victory.
Fun fact: Genie is actually the subject of a future Hollywood movie. Her highly-publicised wager with a fan on the outcome of the 2017 Super Bowl is heading to the big screen with Eugenie set to be credited with an executive producer role.
Gaby Dabrowski
Age: 27
From: Ottawa, Ontario
Fed Cup ties played: 13
Look no further than Gaby Dabrowski for Canada’s doubles specialist. The 27-year-old is currently ranked No. 8 in the world and enters this Fed Cup tie following a Grand Slam semi-finals appearance in the Australian Open mixed doubles event. She is a two-time Grand Slam champion having won the Australian Open (2018) and French Open (2017) in mixed doubles.
Dabrowski played in her first Fed Cup tie in 2013 and made a winning start to life on the team, beating a Peruvian pairing of Ximena Siles Luna and Ferny Angeles Paz in straight sets alongside partner Sharon Fichman. This tie against Switzerland will be her 14th, making her the most experienced player in Team Canada’s ranks.
Fun fact: In 2018, Gaby had the tennis courts at Russell Boyd Park in her hometown of Ottawa named in her honour!
Leylah Annie Fernandez
Age: 17
From: Laval, Quebec
Fed Cup ties played: 1
Leylah Annie Fernandez may only be 17 but she’s already made a big impression on Canadian tennis fans. In 2019, she won the Junior French Open title as well as her first pro title at the Gatineau National Bank Challenger. Fernandez also earned herself a wild card to the main draw of Rogers Cup presented by National Bank.
The youngster made her first and only Fed Cup appearance to date in last year’s loss to the Czech Republic in Prostejov. Only 16 at the time, Fernandez performed impressively against Marketa Vondrousova – a future French Open finalist – and drew praise from her teammates and fans.
Fun fact: Leylah is not just bilingual, she’s trilingual! The youngster can speak French, English and Spanish fluently. Given the amount of traveling required on the pro tour, you would imagine this comes in handy fairly regularly.
