Leylah Fernandez saw her 2026 Italian Open campaign cut short, but the 23-year-old took a break to enjoy the Eternal City, treating fans to a heartwarming personal update confirming her new romance. Following a Round of 64 exit at the Foro Italico, the former US Open finalist shifted the spotlight onto her Rome outing, posing with her beau, Canadian paralympian Vincent Boily.
Leylah Fernandez Poses With Boyfriend Vincent Boily in Rome, Showcasing Romance After Italian Open Loss
On Monday, Fernandez posted a photodump on Instagram with the caption: “some Rome archives ✨,” including a nighttime snapshot of her with her boyfriend, Canadian para ice hockey player Vincent Boily, standing on the historic cobblestones of the Ponte Sant’Angelo, with the illuminated Castel Sant’Angelo behind them. Boily also took to the comments section to leave her a one-word message: “Bellissima.” The post also had a selfie of the couple in front of the Colosseum.
The couple’s relationship was ‘soft-launched’ last month during a “Get Ready With Me” video Fernandez filmed while competing in Charleston, where Boily made a blurry cameo in the background.
For fans, this romance update is particularly sweet given Fernandez’s candid admission last summer that she had never been on an official date. She even invited fans to message her for a one-hour date in Montreal. After receiving more than 100 messages on the first day, Fernandez chose someone who caught her attention.
Then, in October, during the 2025 US Open hardcourt series, she gave a relationship update, saying, “It’s good.” Fans are also speculating that Boily might have been that mystery man she eventually went out with.
Boily is a key player in Canadian para ice hockey, recently helping Team Canada capture a silver medal at the 2026 Milano Cortina Paralympic Games and securing gold at the 2024 World Championships. The 25-year-old’s personal journey is inspiring. A former highly touted junior hockey prospect, Boily was partially paralyzed in a snowmobile accident in 2017. Rather than letting the tragedy end his athletic dreams, he focused on para sports and even summited Mount Kilimanjaro on arm crutches in 2024 to raise awareness for spinal cord injuries.
Meanwhile, in 2026, Fernandez suffered early exits, including a first-round loss at the Australian Open to Janice Tjen (2-6, 6-7). In Madrid, she made a quarterfinal run, defeating Iva Jovic and Ann Li, before eventually falling to Mirra Andreeva (6-7, 3-6).
The world No. 23’s singles run in Rome ended in a three-set defeat (6-4, 4-6, 4-6) to Rebeka Masarova. And her scheduled doubles campaign alongside Italian partner Elisabetta Cocciaretto was canceled at the last minute due to a withdrawal. Now, before Roland Garros, she is set to play Anna Blinkova at the Trophée Lagardère WTA 125 event in Paris today.
