Leylah Fernandez watched her 2024-25 season spiral into frustration with each early exit, each missed opportunity. Then Washington happened, and everything changed. Her victory at the Mubadala Citi DC Open didn’t just end a title drought – it reminded everyone why the Canadian remains one of tennis’s most dangerous young talents.
How Did Leylah Fernandez Turn Around Her Disappointing Season?
Concerns about Fernandez’s form were mounting ahead of the WTA 500 event in Washington, D.C. Her season had largely been marked by early exits, with only a few standout performances. Prior to the grass-court swing, her best results included a quarterfinal appearance in Abu Dhabi and third-round finishes at both the Australian Open and the Qatar Open.
The grass-court portion of her campaign only deepened those concerns. Fernandez suffered a first-round exit at the Queen’s Club Championships, followed by a quarterfinal finish in Nottingham and a second-round exit in Wimbledon. The pattern seemed set for another disappointing stretch.
However, just when it seemed the Canadian’s fortunes were unlikely to turn, she delivered a statement the following week. Fernandez looked strong as she began her North American hard-court swing in the capital, defeating Maya Joint, top seed Jessica Pegula, Taylor Townsend, and Elena Rybakina to secure a place in the final.
“Thank you so much for never giving up on me.” ❤️
Leylah Fernandez gives a beautiful speech after winning the title in Washington D.C. 🏆#MubdalaDCCitiOpen pic.twitter.com/UHHKWKOVXV
— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) July 27, 2025
Thanks to an utterly aggressive game, Fernandez made light work of Anna Kalinskaya in the final, cruising to a 6-1, 6-2 win and claimed her fourth career WTA title. The Canadian had a brief turnaround before heading to the WTA 1000 event in Montreal, where she was asked what had finally clicked for her in Washington, D.C., after a largely underwhelming season.
“You can be honest. You can say the rest of the year hasn’t been great (laughing). It’s been pretty sh*t, to be honest (laughing). I guess in Washington it’s been just a good week overall. I’ve been working very hard for a long time. You know, it started with just good environment, good vibes with the team members, having dinner with the other Canadian girls that were at the tournament. So it was always good environment from the beginning,” she said in her pre-tournament press conference.
Fernandez Wants To Continue Her Form to the Canadian Open
Fernandez later shared that she thoroughly enjoyed herself and thrived in front of a large crowd, hoping to carry that momentum into Montreal.
“Then on court I was just enjoying myself a lot more, and I was able to play well in front of a big crowd. So, yeah, I guess everything just clicked in that week, and hopefully continues on for Montreal,” she said.
The 22-year-old ended a nearly two-year-long title drought since her last triumph in Hong Kong in 2023. She would again start her campaign against Australia’s Joint, marking their third meeting, with Fernandez holding a 2-0 head-to-head advantage.
