Leylah Fernandez progressed to the third round of the 2026 Canadian Open with a clinical 6-2, 6-2 win against Mexico’s Renata Zarazúa after a first-round bye. The Montréal native felt the love from the Toronto crowd as she was welcomed by a packed stadium on August 5.
After the match, Fernandez revealed a comment from her father, Jorge, before she stepped onto the court that helped influence her performance.
Leylah Fernandez Keeps Canadian Hopes Alive in Toronto
Fernandez entered the WTA 1000 event after a disappointing second-round defeat at the Mubadala DC Open, where she failed to defend her title. After safely advancing to the third round, she said on Instagram, “Toronto energy is what my heart needed!” The Canadian also pulled out her phone to capture the special moment as the packed stadium erupted in celebration following her victory.
“I haven’t played in front of a home crowd for a year now. I haven’t played in front of a packed stadium for a while. So, being able to feel that again, it was kind of like nerves, excitement. I don’t know how to describe it. Kind of like a kid on Christmas Day. Like, wanting to open your Christmas gifts, but you can’t, so you’re kind of like antsy,” she said in her press conference.
“So that was me the whole day. I did feel a little bit nervous because obviously I want to perform well in front of the home crowd but also in front of my friends and family who came.”
After winning the Mubadala DC Open in 2025, Leylah Fernandez was unable to handle the quick turnaround to her hometown tournament in Montréal the following week. This time around, the 30th seed benefited from a direct entry into the second round, unlike in her previous campaign.
“Whenever we wear the flag on our backs, we’re going to put our best attitude, and we’re going to put on a good show for everyone,” she said.
Fernandez is the last Canadian standing in both men’s and women’s singles draws. The WTA draw started with eight locals, with Fernandez being the only player entering directly without a wildcard. While a couple of players, Katherine Sebov and Kayla Cross, won their first match, they fell in the next round.
On the men’s side in Montréal, six Canadians appeared in the main draw. Felix Auger-Aliassime, the second seed, withdrew just hours before his first match on August 5. Denis Shapovalov and Gabriel Diallo retired mid-match, and others failed to reach the second round.
“I didn’t… no, that’s a lie. I knew that I was the last Canadian standing. My dad specifically said that before I walked on court. I guess that kind of lit a little fire in me, because you know, I’ve always said that we have a lot of Canadians, young Canadian tennis players who are doing extremely well. And I want to be able to kind of motivate them to keep going and to keep believing in themselves,” Fernandez said.
The 23-year-old now faces a stern test against reigning French Open champion Mirra Andreeva in the third round. She is also set to return to the court on August 6 for the doubles event alongside her sister, Bianca. The pair will face sixth seeds Elise Mertens and Diana Shnaider in the opening round.
