Fernandez’s tough lesson fuels dream
TEACHER FIRES UP LEYLAH
WHILE Emma Raducanu has cruised, Leylah Fernandez has scrapped.
And tonight, under the lights at Flushing Meadows, one of these youngsters will hoist the US Open trophy up to the stars.
Raducanu’s run to the final has been well documented but Fernandez’s less so, especially on this side of the Pond.
But the Montreal-born daughter of an Ecuadorian father, Jorge, and Canadian mum, Irene, who is of Filipino descent, has been just as remarkable.
A month ago yesterday, Fernandez was losing in straight sets to British player Harriet Dart in the first round of her home tournament, the Canadian Open.
Fast forward to New York and she has fought her way past the elite to set up her date with destiny.
Naomi Osaka, Angelique Kerber, Elina Svitolina and Aryna Sabalenka, seeded 3, 16, 5 and 2 respectively all took this tiny teenager the distance but, on each occasion, they were left packing their bags as Fernandez marched on.
If the 19-year-old adds Raducanu to her list of victims, the Brit might well have reason to curse the words of one of
Fernandez’s teachers who told her she would never make it as a tennis player and whose jibes have been used as a motivation ever since. “A lot of people doubted me, my family and my dreams,” she said. “
“I remember one teacher telling me to stop playing tennis, you will never make it, and just focus on school.
“You know what? I’m just glad that she told me that because every day I have that phrase in my head saying that I’m going to keep going, prove to her everything that
I’ve dreamed of I’m going to achieve.”