Leylah Fernandez took the example of this football star to build a ‘Different’ game for her

Leylah Fernandez has been a real revelation of the year 2021. At the age of 19, she managed to get into the finals of the US Open by defeating some of the best players throughout the world. However, in the finals she lost against Emma Raducanu, but she has shown the determination to be one of the next big thing at the highest level of tennis.

Fernandez recently in an interview revealed some key features about her game. She revealed how not being a very powerful and small, made her build a different game plan which suited her body. She revealed that this Football legend inspired her to make changes to her game.

Leylah Fernandez on adapting to her body type

Undeniably Leylah Fernandez has grown exponentially during the past year. She managed to achieve what people of her age might only dream to achieve. She did fell a bit short on making it her first major title, but reaching the final by defeating some of the top players in the game stood out. 

In a recent interview, the US Open finalist revealed that not being the most powerful or the tallest person, she needed to adapt to the qualities that she did have. She revealed that during the beginning of her career she got inspiration from the Football legend Lionel Messi. 

“When we figured out that I wasn’t going to be the tallest or the most physically powerful, we tried to build a different game for me. We also took examples from other sports. My father being a football fan, he gave me the classic example: Messi.” Said Fernandez

The Canadian said that her father was a football fan and he gave her the example of Messi. About the way he overcame his physical shortcomings and started focusing and improving on other important skills. 

“Despite his build much thinner and smaller than his opponents, he is able to move in tight spaces at a speed that others cannot keep up with. For tennis, from the start, I focused on the angles to force my opponents out of their comfort zone, the one where they are playing at full force. “ Fernandez added.

Also Read: ‘Title Defended’ Leylah Fernandez awarded Tennis Canada’s Female Player of the Year for 2nd year in a row