Rising tennis star Leylah Fernandez, a Canadian with Filipino lineage, is turning heads in the US Open after pulling off back-to-back upset victories over the weekend.
Fernandez, whose father Jorge is Ecuadorian and mother Irene is a Canadian with Filipino parents, proved that her 6-4, 6-1 victory over third seed Naomi Osaka was no fluke after shocking former world No. 1 and 16th seed Angelique Kerber, 5-7, 7-6, (2), 6-4, to reach the quarterfinals for the first time in her career.
Tennis fans, journalists and fellow Canadian athletes are already rooting for Fernandez, who is celebrating her 19th birthday Monday, Sept 6.
Remember this name! Leylah Fernandez! If you haven’t seen her play tennis, you should watch her match now with Angelique Kerber. This 18 year old is a gem! #usopen pic.twitter.com/qixPZVCGhb
— Lexis Bill (@lexisbill) September 5, 2021
From a section of the draw that held Naomi Osaka, Angelique Kerber, Sloane Stephens, Coco Gauff, Madison Keys, and Kaia Kanepi -- 18-year-old Canuck Leylah Fernandez is your US Open quarterfinalist.
— Jason (@Hurleytennis) September 5, 2021
“Congrats, @leylahfernandez,” Milos Raonic, considered as one of the most successful Canadian singles male players in history, wrote on his Twitter account after Fernandez’s win over Osaka.
He followed it up with another mention of Fernandez, “@leylahfernandez hell yess!!!” after stunning Kerber.
World No. 8 Bianca Andreescu also cheered for her fellow Canadian on her Twitter account, sharing an on-court video interview of Fernandez after her victory over Osaka.
Genie Bouchard, another famous Canadian tennis player, also lauded Fernandez’s performances.
“I saw that! So humbling to hear her say I inspired her. She’s a great player. Go (Canada) tennis!” Bouchard wrote on Twitter.
Following her recent wins, some fans became curious about Fernandez particularly on her Filipino lineage. Among the popular search phrases on social media were “Leylah Fernandez Filipino” and “Leylah Fernandez mom.”