Leylah Annie Fernandez is making Montreal proud at this year’s U.S. Open Grand Slam

The rising star has reached the U.S. Open finals for the first time in her career

SportsPeter Vryonis — Published September 11, 2021 2 minutes

Fernandez’ run during this tournament won over the hearts of Canadians and tennis fans in general. She fought her way to the very end, and many have fallen in love with the underdog mentality she brings to the court.

Canadian tennis has produced stars such as Eugénie Bouchard, Dennis Shapovalov, Milos Raonic, Bianca Andreescu and many others. Success for Montrealers in professional tennis has been on the up. With Fernandez reaching the final and Felix Auger-Aliassime the semi-final in the men’s tournament, the future of tennis in Montreal is in great hands.

Auger-Aliassime is ranked 15th in the world, but his ranking is sure to rise after his U.S. Open performance. He turned pro in 2017, and has made significant strides en route to becoming one of the best tennis players on the planet. 

“I never thought this day would come. A little girl, a little boy from Montreal [reaching] the U.S. Open semi-finals,” said Felix Auger-Aliassime in Uninterrupted Canada on him and Fernandez making the semi-finals. Fernandez has an opportunity to make history with a victory today. 

Fernandez currently ranks 73rd amongst women, and is a newcomer on the professional tennis scene. She turned pro at 16, so this is certainly only the beginning of a long and fruitful career. 

Fernandez took on #2 ranked Aryna Sabalenka from Belarus in her semi-final matchup. This was the biggest match of her career, and she delivered. The American crowd rallied behind Fernandez as she battled the hard-hitting Sabalenka. When the victory sunk in after the match, she wore a smile from ear to ear. 

As for Auger-Aliassime, he took on world #2 Daniil Medvedev in his semi-final matchup. The Russian Medvedev is a veteran superstar on the tennis tour and dominated the match from start to finish. Auger-Aliassime was simply overmatched by Medvedev. The Montreal-born Auger-Aliassime should hold his head high as many would have fared the same against the powerful Medvedev.

Leylah Annie Fernandez will battle Emma Radacanu for the U.S. Open title today at 4:00 p.m.