Leylah Fernandez BREAKS into top 20 for the first time despite opening round exit at the Australian Open
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Leylah Fernandez
Canadian teen sensation Leylah Fernandez broke into the top-20 of the latest WTA rankings released on Monday. The 19-year old grabbed headlines last year when she finished as a runner-up at the US Open.
She quickly gained prominence as a fan favorite during her exploits at Flushing Meadows. En route to the finals, she defeated three of the top five players, including defending champion Naomi Osaka. She lost on the finals to fellow teenager Emma Raducanu. She became an overnight sensation and her underdog story quickly made her one of the most marketable athletes last year along with Raducanu.
This was the first time that a final match in a Major was played between teenagers since the 1999 US Open. Then 17-year-old Serena Williams defeated 18-year-old Martina Hingis to lift her first Grand Slam title, the first of many in her decorated career. However, unlike their counterparts, Raducanu and Fernandez are yet to replicate the flashes of brilliance they displayed during their fairytale run in New York last year.
Both of them faced early exits at the recently concluded Australian Open. Fernandez suffered a shocking loss to wildcard Maddison Inglis in the opening round whereas Raducanu lost in the next round to Danka Kovinic.
Leylah Fernandez debuts in top-20
Despite her early-round exit at the Australian Open, Fernandez managed to break into the top-20 of the WTA rankings and is currently ranked No.19, two places up from her previous ranking. She became the fifth Canadian woman to reach the top-20 and is currently the second highest-ranked teenager behind Emma Raducanu, who is currently ranked No.13.
Fernandez is next scheduled to play at the Abierto Akron Zapopan in Guadalajara, Mexico. She will enter the tournament as the fourth seed, headlining the event alongside Raducanu, Elina Svitolina, and Australian Open semi-finalist Madison Keys. The Canadian will be looking to shrug off her disappointing start to the season and begin this tournament on a better note. The WTA 250 tournament will begin on February 21st with Raducanu as the top-seeded player.
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T Rushitha
(360 Articles Published)