Leylah Fernandez, the 22-year-old Canadian tennis star, faced another early setback at the 2025 Cincinnati Open, falling 3-6, 3-6 to Spain’s Jessica Bouzas Maneiro in the first round on August 11. The straight-sets defeat marked her second consecutive opening-match loss, following a 6-4, 6-1 rout by Australian qualifier Maya Joint at the National Bank Open in Montreal just days earlier. Taking to Instagram, where over 300,000 fans follow her journey, Fernandez shared her disappointment with a poignant message: “It hurts to fall, but it’s part of the journey. Thank you Cincinnati for the love and support. Onward and upward!” Accompanied by match photos capturing her intensity on the court, her post reflected both the sting of defeat and her resolve to push forward as she prepares for the Monterrey Open and the US Open.
Fernandez’s 2025 season has been a rollercoaster of highs and lows. The former US Open finalist, who reached a career-high ranking of No. 13 in 2022, captured her fourth WTA title—and first at the 500 level—at the Mubadala Citi DC Open on August 3, defeating Anna Kalinskaya 6-1, 6-2 in a commanding 70-minute final. That triumph, her biggest to date, saw her rally past top seed Jessica Pegula and Elena Rybakina in a grueling three-hour semifinal, showcasing the fighting spirit that led Canada to its first Billie Jean King Cup title in 2023. “I’m just happy to be back in the winner’s circle,” Fernandez said after the DC victory, her first title since Hong Kong in 2023. Yet, the demanding schedule took its toll. Arriving in Montreal after a late-night flight from Washington, she faced scheduling frustrations, having been promised a night match to allow recovery but instead playing early Tuesday. “I did not receive that,” she lamented, hinting at “political issues” in the scheduling process. Her 75-minute loss to Joint, ranked No. 135, exposed her fatigue, with only 48% of first serves landing and 22 unforced errors.
In Cincinnati, Fernandez hoped to rebound on the fast hard courts of the Lindner Family Tennis Center, where she reached the third round in 2023. Facing Bouzas Maneiro, a 22-year-old Spaniard ranked No. 60, she struggled to find rhythm, winning just 48 points compared to her opponent’s 64 and committing 19 unforced errors. The match, played under sweltering 91-degree heat, highlighted her ongoing challenge to regain consistency after a mixed season. Earlier in 2025, Fernandez suffered a third-round exit to Caroline Garcia at the Australian Open and a first-round loss to Clara Tauson at the French Open. Her grass-court campaign showed promise, with a 6-1, 6-3 win over Hannah Klugman at Wimbledon, but a second-round defeat to Laura Siegemund in a third-set tiebreak halted her momentum. “It’s difficult to feel that kind of rhythm in every match,” Fernandez reflected earlier this year, addressing the mental challenge of maintaining her 2021 US Open form, where she upset Naomi Osaka, Angelique Kerber, and Elina Svitolina en route to the final. “Accepting that I wouldn’t always play that well was a big mental task, but I learned to focus on finding solutions.”
Off the court, Fernandez’s resilience shines through personal challenges. She hinted at a “scare” involving her family and team earlier in 2025, noting, “Mental state’s been a little up and down.” Her Leylah Annie & Family Foundation, dedicated to education and sports access, reflects her commitment to giving back, while her studies at Indiana University East demonstrate her balance of academics and athletics. A fan of Real Madrid and Manchester City, Fernandez draws inspiration from her idols, the Williams sisters, and Justine Henin. Her Instagram post after Cincinnati echoed a Wimbledon message quoting Yulia Putintseva: “Even though the song changes, you gotta keep dancing.” That positivity, paired with her Lululemon sponsorship and Babolat Pure Aero racquet, keeps her connected to fans who admire her grit and style.
As Fernandez looks to the Monterrey Open, a WTA 500 event starting August 17, she aims to rediscover the form that saw her win 80.6% of first-serve points against Kalinskaya in DC. The Cincinnati loss, while painful, is a stepping stone. Her 242-153 career record and four WTA titles underscore her potential, and at No. 24, she remains a US Open threat. The New York crowds, where she reached the 2021 final as a 19-year-old, await her, and with 17 Shake Shack locations nearby—a favorite post-match treat—she’s eager to make new memories. “Hopefully there’s one near the hotel,” she joked in Cincinnati, eyeing her US Open return. Fernandez’s journey, marked by setbacks and triumphs, continues to inspire, proving that even in defeat, she’s dancing toward her next victory.
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