Rising tennis star Leylah Fernandez likes to remind tennis fans and observers of the game of something innate to anyone who makes a living on the court. That tennis is mental as it is physical.
“I find that when the mind decides, the body will follow,” the Canadian singles and Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) player said during an interview last week. “The mental aspect of the sport is extremely important, and I’m extremely lucky. I try to enjoy the opportunity as much as possible.”
Fernandez first came to worldwide prominence as a finalist in the 2021 U.S. Open and made her Grand Slam debut at the 2020 Australian Open, which took place in January and the first weekend of February 2020. A week after that first big stage debut, Fernandez grabbed the biggest win in her career at the Billie Jean King Cup, by beating then-world No. 5 Belinda Bencic in the event’s qualifying round.
Yet, as one of the youngest players on the WTA Tour, Fernandez says that no amount of hours on the court, whether working to perfect her swing or even working on general form, is too long.
“I always wanted to play tennis (professionally), and I don’t really feel that the sport takes a toll on me physically.”
Currently, the 20-year-old WTA pro is ranked in the top 50 among women in the sport—sitting at No. 49 in the WTA’s rankings. She also has two professional singles titles to her name.
