Leylah Fernandez Gives Hilarious Reason Behind Refusing her Sister to Date Any Tennis Player

Leylah Fernandez to partner with Venus Williams in the doubles of the Miami Open.

Leylah Fernandez Gives Hilarious Reason Behind Refusing her Sister to Date Any Tennis Player

Leylah Fernandez (via X/The Tennis Letter)

In Short
  • Leylah Fernandez humorously stated she would not allow her sister to date any tennis player to "protect the guys."
  • Bianca Fernandez, Leylah's younger sister, is a college tennis player ranked World No. 1430 in the WTA.
  • Leylah is currently competing at the Miami Open, partnering with Venus Williams in the doubles event.

WTA star Leylah Fernandez gave a hilarious response when asked which men’s tour player she would let her sister date. The Canadian star said that she would not allow her sister to date any tour player because she wanted to “protect the guys”. Fernandez made this known during a Tennis Channel show at the Miami Open.

The show is known as “concession cart”, featuring players who have gained traction and showcasing players in a more relaxed off-court setting. Several notable players took part in the show, including Eugenie Bouchard, Tommy Paul, Ajla Tomljanović, Marta Kostyuk, and fellow Canadian star Denis Shapovalov.

Each of the players was asked the same question, and most of them embraced the spirit of the show by naming popular handsome men’s players that they would allow to date their sister. Some of the names include Matteo Berrettini, Ben Shelton, Casper Ruud, Hubert Hurkacz, Felix Auger-Aliassime, and British No.1 Jack Draper.

However, when it got to Fernandez’s turn, she was asked the same question as others about her two younger sisters, Bianca and Jodeci. She gave the most memorable answer after a brief pause. She admitted that she would not like her sister to date any player as she aims to protect her:

No one. Honestly, it’s not because I want to protect my sister. I want to protect the guys.

Bianca, who is one year younger than the former US Open finalist, is also a tennis player and she’s currently ranked World No 1430 in the WTA rankings. The 22-year-old is not an active tour player like her sister Leylah, as she currently plays college tennis for the UCLA Bruins.

Aside from that, she’s also known as a doubles specialist and reached a career-high ranking of World No. 169 in the doubles rankings in March 2025. Bianca often partners with Leylah in tour-level events. Their most notable partnership came at the 2024 National Bank Open in Canada, where the duo reached the semi-finals of a WTA 1000 event together for the first time in their career.

They tried to replicate the run at the tournament last year, but were crushed by Italy’s duo Jasmine Paolini and Sara Errani in straight sets in the first round. Leylah played in the singles event and lost to Australia’s Maya Joint in the opening round.

Leylah Fernandez to partner with Venus Williams at the Miami Open doubles

Leylah Fernandez is currently in Florida for the Miami Open. The Citi Open champion is the 26th seed at the singles event and received a first-round bye. She will kick off her campaign at the event in the second round against Oksana Selekhmeteva, who defeated Emiliana Arango in three sets in the first round.

Venus Williams, Leylah Fernandez
Venus Williams, Leylah Fernandez (Image via X/The Globe and Mail)

Fernandez will also take part in the doubles tennis event alongside Venus Williams. The duo will face Erin Routliffe and Asia Muhammad in the first round of the event. Williams crashed out in the singles event on Thursday (March 19) after losing to British star Francesca Jones 5-7, 5-7. It was her fifth consecutive singles loss this season.

Her consecutive defeats have sparked debate over whether she truly deserves a wildcard entry in every tournament, despite being a tennis legend. Some analysts and former players have argued that wildcards were previously given to young talents to gain experience on tour, rather than to players who have passed their prime.

Away from that, Fernandez will be eager to bounce back from her disappointing campaign at the Indian Wells last week. The Canadian star crashed out in the second round after losing in three sets to Katerina Siniakova. Siniakova went on to beat Mirra Andreeva in the next match before Elina Svitolina ended her run in the fourth round in the California desert.

Also Read: Elena Rybakina Gears Up for ‘One Last Push’ in Miami Amid ‘Brutal’ Schedule