Former ATP Player Predicts Leylah Fernandez Will Do “Big Things” at the US Open After Citi Open Triumph

Leylah Fernandez won her maiden WTA 500 title at the Washington Open after beating Anna Kalinskaya.

Former ATP Player Predicts Leylah Fernandez Will Do “Big Things” at the US Open After Citi Open Triumph

Leylah Fernandez (via X/Citi Open)

🔍 Explore this post with:

ChatGPTPerplexityGrok AIGoogle AI

Leylah Fernandez claimed the fourth title of her career after beating Anna Kalinskaya in straight sets at the Citi Open. The Canadian star had previously won four WTA 250 titles before the WTA 500 tournament. Former ATP player Steve Johnson has predicted that Fernandez will do big things at the US Open.

Fernandez was not among the favorites to win the Washington Open when she arrived at the tournament. But the 22-year-old proved that she’s capable of competing with the top players after beating top seed Jessica Pegula in the round of 16 and then Taylor Townsend in the quarter-finals.

She then went on to stun Elena Rybakina in the semi-final to set up a final against Kalinskaya. In the final, she produced a statement performance, dropping just one point in the first set, before going on to round up the match with a 6-1, 6-2 to win the Washington Open title, her biggest title of her career.

With five straight wins at the Citi Open, Fernandez now holds a 21-17 win-loss record on tour. She jumped 12 spots in the WTA rankings to be the World No.24. The 2021 US Open finalist is working on reclaiming her career-high ranking of World No.17, which she achieved in October 2023.

During a conversation on Tennis Channel, Steve Johnson revealed that after Fernandez’s run at the Washington Open, she now has a chance of doing something big at the US Open. He added that she has previously reached the final of the Flushing Meadows, so she has the experience to deal with the pressure:

I see big things. Whenever you can get a title on a hard court leading up into a Grand Slam, whatever surface it may be, especially now going home. Some players have a hard time playing at home with the crowds and the pressure and all that. I think she is going to be doing just fine up there, she has held the Canadian flag for a few years, making the US Open final that young. She has dealt with all that pressure, her tennis is there.

Fernandez reached the final of the US Open in 2021 but lost the title to Emma Raducanu. The World No.24’s triumph at Washington was her first title in the WTA since winning the Hong Kong Open in October 2023. She has struggled to meet the expectations of her career since then.

Leylah Fernandez believes winning the Washington Open has made her stronger

Leylah Fernandez arrived in Washington with just four wins in her last four tournaments. Her best run at those tournaments came at the Nottingham Open, where she reached the quarter-finals before losing to Dayana Yastremska in straight sets. The 22-year-old also managed to win just one match at the Wimbledon Championship.

Leylah Fernandez (via X/The Tennis Letter)
Leylah Fernandez (via X/The Tennis Letter)

In fact, Fernandez had not won more than two matches in a tournament since November 2024. But after beating the likes of Jessica Pegula and Elena Rybakina in 5 hours and 31 minutes combined, she got the confidence to win the Washington Open:

I have gone through so many different challenges this week. You know, I think it just has made me stronger in a way that if I can get through this week, through the cramps, through the long matches, through the heat, the humidity, I can get through anything. So I was just very happy that I got to not only push myself physically through the limits but also mentally. So that kind of will help me hopefully for future tournaments.

The four-time tour-level champion faced Maya Joint in the round of 128 of the Canadian Open. She had defeated the Australian star in the opening match of the DC and hoped to beat her for the second consecutive time. But Joint had other plans as she beat Fernandez in straight sets to advance to the next round.

Also Read: Gael Monfils makes shocking revelation about his career following Canadian Open loss