Leylah Fernandez has arrived in Toronto for the Canadian Open after falling short in her title defense at the Mubadala DC Open. Ahead of her campaign at the WTA 1000 event on home soil, Fernandez stepped out with her boyfriend, Canadian ice sled hockey player and Paralympics silver medalist Vincent Boily, to support the Toronto Blue Jays and perform a special role at the MLB game.
Leylah Fernandez Makes ‘Nervous’ Confession at Blue Jays Game
Fernandez was recently in action at the DC Open, aiming to defend her title at the WTA 500 event. Although she made a strong start to her campaign by defeating Magda Linette 6-1, 6-4 in the first round, she suffered a 6-2, 7-6(1) loss to Alexandra Eala in the second round and was ousted from the tournament.
The 23-year-old has since touched down in Toronto, eager to make a stronger impression at the Canadian Open as the home favorite. Ahead of her opening match, she made the most of her brief downtime by visiting the Rogers Centre on Saturday, August 1. She watched the Blue Jays host the St. Louis Cardinals and had the honor of throwing the ceremonial first pitch.
Fernandez attended the game with her boyfriend, Vincent Boily, and admitted that she was nervous about the ceremonial throw.
“I’m more nervous than excited,” she said.
Despite her jitters, the throw went off without a hitch. Fernandez and Boily were all smiles as they settled into the stands to witness the game, which saw the Blue Jays seal a 5-1 victory.
View this post on Instagram
In July, Fernandez and Boily also made a glamorous appearance at the ESPYs in New York City, where they had the chance to mingle with fellow athletes. During a recent appearance on Andy Roddick’s “Served” podcast, the 23-year-old credited her boyfriend for breaking the ice with other athletes as she shed light on their contrasting personalities.
“I saw one of my favorite athletes and I was like, ‘Oh man, it would be so cool to get a picture with with him.’ And we made eye contact, but I didn’t take that step forward. It was Steph Curry. He was doing it with everyone but I was just too shy to actually make that step,” Fernandez said.
“But also the help is that my boyfriend, he’s a total opposite of me. He will go up to people and start the conversation, then I’ll kind of chime in and just be there,” she added.
On the tennis front, Leylah Fernandez has begun gearing up for her campaign at the Canadian Open. Following a first-round bye, she will face either Renata Zarazúa or Tamara Korpatsch in her opening match at the WTA 1000 event.
