Leylah Fernandez
Leylah Fernandez, the 24-year-old Canadian left-hander and 2021 US Open finalist, won the Singapore Tennis Open on September 27, 2026 for her sixth WTA title, then lost her opening match in Beijing before heading to the Wuhan Open.
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Where does Leylah Fernandez live?
Her Wikipedia profile lists her residence as Boynton Beach, Florida, a common training base for touring pros. She was born in Montreal and grew up in Laval, Quebec, which Canadian media still describe as her hometown, and she came through the Tennis 13 academy there.
What is Leylah Fernandez's nationality?
She is Canadian and represents Canada in all international competition, including the Billie Jean King Cup. Her heritage is mixed: her father Jorge is from Ecuador and her mother Irene is Filipino Canadian.
How old is Leylah Fernandez?
Leylah Annie Fernandez was born on September 6, 2002, in Montreal, so she is 24 years old as of October 12, 2026.
How tall is Leylah Fernandez?
She is listed at 1.68 m (5 ft 6 in), small by modern WTA standards. She compensates with early ball-striking, quick footwork and a left-handed game with a two-handed backhand.
Who are Leylah Fernandez's parents?
Her father, Jorge Fernandez, is from Ecuador and played soccer before turning to coaching; his family moved to Montreal when he was a child. Her mother, Irene, is Filipino Canadian. That double Ecuadorian and Filipino heritage gives her a big following in both countries.
Who is Leylah Fernandez's coach?
Her father, Jorge Fernandez, who has coached her since she started tennis despite having no background in the sport as a player. He remains listed as her coach.
Does Leylah Fernandez have siblings?
Yes. Her younger sister, Bianca Jolie Fernandez, also plays tennis, and her older sister, Jodeci, is a dentist.
What is Leylah Fernandez's ranking?
She was ranked No. 26 in the world in early October 2026, according to Canadian Press coverage of the China Open, after her title in Singapore. Her career-high singles ranking is No. 13, reached on August 8, 2022.
How many titles has Leylah Fernandez won?
Six WTA singles titles as of October 12, 2026: Monterrey 2021 and 2022, Hong Kong 2023, Washington 2025 (WTA 500), the Japan Women's Open in Osaka in 2025, and the Singapore Tennis Open in 2026 (WTA 500).
Did Leylah Fernandez win the 2021 US Open?
No, she reached the final as an unseeded 19-year-old, beating Naomi Osaka, Angelique Kerber, Elina Svitolina and Aryna Sabalenka along the way, then lost the final to fellow teenager Emma Raducanu 6-4, 6-3. It remains her best Grand Slam result.
How did Leylah Fernandez win the 2026 Singapore Tennis Open?
Seeded sixth, she beat top seed Mirra Andreeva in the quarterfinals, then Maja Chwalinska in the semifinals, and won the final on September 27, 2026 against Australia's Talia Gibson 7-5, 6-0 after saving a set point in the first set. It was her first title of 2026 and her second WTA 500 crown.
How is Leylah Fernandez doing at the 2026 Wuhan Open?
After losing her opening match at the China Open in Beijing to Kamilla Rakhimova (6-2, 4-6, 6-3 on October 3), she was drawn against Ekaterina Alexandrova in the first round in Wuhan, a match scheduled on October 12, 2026. The result was not confirmed at the time of writing; check wtatennis.com for the live draw.
Leylah Fernandez: Canada’s left-handed fighter is winning again
Leylah Annie Fernandez was born on September 6, 2002, in Montreal and grew up in Laval, Quebec. The daughter of an Ecuadorian father and a Filipino Canadian mother, she was coached from her very first lessons by her father Jorge, a former soccer player with no tennis background, an unusual setup that still holds today. She plays left-handed with a two-handed backhand and, at 1.68 m, relies on timing and speed rather than size.
The world discovered her in September 2021. Unseeded at the US Open, the 19-year-old knocked out Naomi Osaka, Angelique Kerber, Elina Svitolina and Aryna Sabalenka before losing an all-teenage final to Emma Raducanu, 6-4, 6-3. She climbed to a career-high No. 13 in August 2022, and in November 2023 she was the driving force behind Canada’s first Billie Jean King Cup title, winning four singles matches and a doubles rubber in Seville.
Her title count kept growing: Monterrey in 2021 and 2022, Hong Kong in 2023, then Washington (WTA 500) and Osaka in 2025. The first half of 2026 was more uneven, with quarterfinals in Stuttgart, Madrid and Strasbourg, but the Asian swing turned things around. Seeded sixth at the Singapore Tennis Open, she beat top seed Mirra Andreeva in the quarterfinals and won the final against Talia Gibson 7-5, 6-0 on September 27, 2026, her sixth career title.
The momentum did not carry into Beijing, where she lost her opening match to Kamilla Rakhimova on October 3. As of October 12, 2026, she is ranked around No. 26 in the world and opened her Wuhan Open campaign against Ekaterina Alexandrova.
