Leylah Fernandez will face Taylor Townsend in the quarterfinals of the Citi DC Open, with the winner facing either third seed Elena Rybakina or fifth seed Magdalena Fręch in the semifinals of the WTA 500 event. The Canadian has won 15 out of 31 WTA Tour main-draw matches so far in 2025, reaching the quarterfinals of the Abu Dhabi Open and the Nottingham Open.
Fernandez entered the Citi DC Open after a second-round exit at Wimbledon and got off to a strong start with a 6-3, 6-3 win over Maya Joint. She then took on top seed Jessica Pegula and took the opening set 6-3 before the American clinched the second 6-1 to force the match into a decider.
Talk about mic drop 🎤💥
Leylah Fernandez takes down No.1 seed Pegula 6-3, 1-6, 7-5 to reach the Washington quarterfinals for the first time.#MubadalaCitiDCOpen pic.twitter.com/W1cg2JMBjs
— wta (@WTA) July 25, 2025
Pegula broke in the opening game of the third set but Fernandez broke her back and did the same again in the final game to register a 6-3, 1-6, 7-5 win and reach her third quarterfinal of the 2025 season.
Taylor Townsend has played just nine main-draw singles matches so far in the 2025 season, winning just four of them. The American reached the third round of the Miami Open but did not win another main-draw fixture until the Citi DC Open. She entered the qualifiers of the WTA 500 event and beat Camila Osorio and Emiliana Arango to book her place in the main draw.
Here, Townsend beat Wimbledon quarterfinalist Tatjana Maria 6-4, 7-5 to set up a second-round clash with Sofia Kenin. The 29-year-old avenged her opening-round loss at the grass-court Major by thrashing her compatriot 6-3, 6-0 and reaching the quarterfinals of the Citi DC Open.
Leylah Fernandez vs Taylor Townsend Head-to-Head
The two have not had any prior encounters on the WTA Tour, so their head-to-head currently stands at 0-0.
MORE: Leylah Fernandez Delivers Confident Message After Shocking Top Seed Jessica Pegula at Citi DC Open
Match Details
- Fixture: Leylah Fernandez vs (Q) Taylor Townsend
- Date: July 25, 2025
- Tournament: Mubadala Citi DC Open
- Round: Quarterfinals
- Venue: William H.G. Fitzgerald Tennis Center, Washington, D.C
- Category: WTA 500
- Surface: Outdoor hard
- Live telecast: Tennis Channel, Fubo, ESPN+, Sky Sports
Leylah Fernandez vs Taylor Townsend Prediction
On paper, Fernandez is the favorite to come out on top and she will be high on confidence after ousting Jessica Pegula. However, the said can be said of Taylor Townsend who had to qualify for the main draw and managed to beat a Wimbledon quarterfinalist and a seeded opponent.
Fernandez has won 65 out of 84 points on her first serve so far at the Citi DC Open, serving 10 aces. However, the Canadian has also produced 11 double faults so far, including nine in her last match. Fernandez is a solid defensive player and can always transition to offense when needed.
Taylor Townsend has won 50 out of 73 points on her first serve, serving 21 aces, including 17 in the last match alone. The American will rely heavily on her serve and will look to finish points as quickly as she can. Townsend also has an impressive net game due to her doubles prowess.
While the 29-year-old is no slouch, if Fernandez can produce the kind of tennis she produced against Pegula, she should be able to come out on top and reach the semifinals in Washington.
Prediction: Fernandez to win in straight sets.
