While fans of Leylah Fernandez assumed she would be sidelined for the foreseeable future, it seems that’s not the case. The tennis star, who broke her foot during her quarterfinal match at Roland Garros, where Italian player Martina Trevisan defeated her, has been spending some time off the court. While she’s set to miss at least Wimbledon — starting June 27 — during this time, Fernandez just announced she will be back for the Citi Open (her first-ever) in Washington D.C. between July 30 and August 7.
“This injury won’t keep me off the court for long,” she stated in a video on Twitter.
Earlier this month, Fernandez continued playing during that quarterfinal match at Roland Garros despite her injury. Later, she posted a message on Twitter informing her followers that it wouldn’t be the last we’d see of her this year. Tennis is played on different surfaces (clay, grass, and hardcourt) and she was injured on the clay part of the season and will return for the City Open, which is played on hardcourt.
Last week, the tennis star also shared a video on Instagram of her on crutches. She took the time to confirm she fractured her foot and asked for well wishes. “The fight in my will continue, just after some PT appointments,” she promised fans. She also asked fans for podcasts, shows, or book recommendations to pass the time.
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Fernandez, who was clearly in pain during her Roland Garros quarterfinal, had already entered the match with a foot injury, which she aggravated. After the game, her father and coach revealed she had suffered a Grade 3 stress fracture. He also commented on how it would have been better for her to withdraw than continue to play the match, though these decisions are sometimes tough to make at the moment.
No doubt Leylah Fernandez will take the lesson and get better, not just at tennis, but taking care of herself as she looks to build not just a successful but long career. It won’t be long until we see her on the court again, and hopefully she’s enjoying this much-deserved downtime.