Leylah Fernandez is back, and there’s no better way to come back than with a win. The 13th-ranked tennis player returned after a lengthy injury that saw her miss the entire grass season, after suffering a Grade 3 stress fracture at Roland Garros, and did so with a win at the National Bank Open tournament in Toronto. Not an easy win, but a win is a win nonetheless, and after so long away from the game, it is indeed welcome.
Fernandez is also set to play doubles with her sister, Bianca Fernandez, as she continues her preparation for the tournament that made her a household name, the US Open, which is set to begin on August 29th.
A little over two months of not playing competitively showed in Fernandez, who had a hard time finding a rhythm early, and struggled with consistency in the second set. She managed to pull off the game in the end, in three sets, and felt physically well after the match, which is the most important thing.
“It was definitely one tough match. It had everything. It had great moments, bad moments, it had spectacular moments from both players,” Fernandez said, adding that “I was just super happy that I was able to play in front of my home crowd. And also that at the end of the match my body feels amazing. So that’s a huge positive. That’s the biggest win that I can ask for.”
Next for Leylah Fernandez in singles is Brazil’s Beatriz Haddad Maia, in a game that’s set to be played tomorrow (August 10). In doubles, she and her sister Bianca will play Spain’s Sara Sorribes Torno and Belgium’s Kirsten Flipkens today (August 9) in a game estimated to start around 1:30PM ET.