Leylah Annie Fernandez will not only head into the National Bank Open as the home favourite, but she will arrive as the Washington champion.
The 22-year-old from Laval defeated Anna Kalinskaya 6-1, 6-2 in the Mubadala Citi D.C. Open final on Sunday for her biggest career title – her previous three triumphs have come at the WTA 250 level.
The Canadian converted on four of six break points, two in each set, as she wrapped up the match in just about 70 minutes. On serve, Fernandez only faced a single break point while winning 75 per cent of her first-serve points.
After a strong service start in her semifinal win over No. 3 seed Elena Rybakina, Fernandez was put under pressure on serve early on in the final. In the third game at deuce, Kalinskaya fired a forehand winner to set up a break point.
However, the Canadian No. 1 won six of the next seven points to hold and create a break point of her own. At 15-40, the world No. 39 double faulted to hand Fernandez a 3-1 lead.
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In the sixth game, a second-straight break in favour of the 22-year-old from Laval gave her the opportunity to serve out the set. After letting two set points slip away, Fernandez sealed the opener on the third try, taking the set in half an hour.
It did not take long for the world No. 36 to put Kalinskaya back under pressure on serve in the second. In the third game at 15-30, Fernandez produced an inch-perfect drop shot to set herself up with an early break point, which the Canadian converted.
At 3-1, the former world No. 13 broke for the second-straight time once again and just needed a pair of holds to hoist the trophy in the American capital.
Fernandez got halfway there with a hold in the sixth game and, at 5-2, the 2021 U.S. Open finalist served for the championship. At 40-love, Kalinskaya extended the final by two points, but the third time was the charm for Fernandez as she secured her first title since 2023 in Hong Kong.
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"I want to thank my team, my coaches for being here all week with me and putting up with my antics and superstitions," Fernandez said in her championship speech. "I want to dedicate this trophy to my mom, my older sister, and to my fitness trainer, Abdul Sillah. You guys have been fighting, and still are fighting, so thank you so much for never giving up on me."
The Canadian No. 1’s next match will be on home soil at the National Bank Open, opening the tournament against Australian teen Maya Joint in Montreal on Tuesday.
Feature Photo: @leylahanniefernandez
