Leylah Fernandez’s run at the 2026 US Open has been helped by a new coaching setup. After a difficult spring that saw her father and longtime coach, Jorge Fernandez, face public scrutiny over a hot-mic incident, the team made a change before the North American hard-court swing.
In late July 2026, veteran coach Eric Hechtman joined Fernandez’s team to provide a fresh perspective. Ahead of her third-round clash with World No. 3 Jessica Pegula, Fernandez opened up about their coaching team, including the similarities between Hechtman and her father as well as the differences between them.
Leylah Fernandez Opens Up on Dad and Eric Hechman’s Coaching Roles
Bringing an outside coach into an established father-daughter team can sometimes lead to clashes, but Fernandez has found it easy to handle. Instead of going against her father’s methods, Hechtman has added a different perspective while keeping the same ideas.
“I think it’s just a different voice,” Fernandez explained on her Tennis Channel interview. “Sometimes with my dad, he would tell me something, and it’s the exact same thing that Eric is telling me. It’s the same message, same everything, but a different way of seeing it. And what I like is that they’re both working well, and we’re all working well together.”
Hechtman brings years of experience at the highest level of the sport, including Grand Slam tournaments, having worked with many pros, including Serena Williams and Venus Williams.
Meanwhile, Jorge brings a different kind of experience, with a background in soccer and basketball coaching at the high school and college levels. His expertise in tennis comes mainly from working with Leylah.
However, Fernandez says they often give her the same advice, just in different ways.
“I think the end message is the same. Sometimes it is how you say it,” Fernandez said with a smile. “But then also, when we’re having these conversations, Eric would say one thing, and I was like, it’s the exact same thing as my dad is telling me,’ and I laugh, and then he’s [Jorge] like, ‘You see, I told you.’”
In May, during Leylah’s straight-sets loss to Victoria Mboko in Strasbourg, Jorge was caught on a hot mic giving her a heated mid-match lecture. He questioned her effort and passion for the game, asking, “Do you want to play tennis or not?” It did not sit well with her fans.
Lastly, Fernandez added that both coaches want the same thing and have a similar mindset, which helps them work well together.
“We’re not going to take things personally, but we just want to get better together.”
The coaching change already appears to be paying off, with Fernandez winning her first two matches in straight sets against Zhang Shuai and Mananchaya Sawangkaew.
Her next challenge at the Flushing Meadows will be the 2024 US Open finalist, Pegula.
