Canadian tennis star Leylah Fernandez is known for engaging with fans in a variety of ways, and recently, she took to an online Q&A session to interact directly with them.
The 23-year-old addressed several fan questions, including one about her ethnicity, while keeping fans guessing about her outfit for the Australian Open. However, she notably sidestepped questions surrounding her relationship status.
Leylah Fernandez Addresses ‘Curious’ Fans on a Variety of Topics
Fernandez put together a strong 2025 season, finishing with a 34–25 record and earning $1.65 million in prize money. The Canadian’s standout moment was when a memorable run culminated in her maiden WTA 500 crown at the Mubadala Citi DC Open.
She carried that momentum to Asia later in the year, lifting the Japan Open trophy, her second of the season and fifth WTA title overall.
The World No. 22 entered the 2026 season with considerable expectations, but the opening week proved underwhelming.
The Brisbane International, a WTA 500 tournament held on outdoor hard courts at the Queensland Tennis Centre, served as one of the key events in the lead-up to the Australian Open. Seeded 13th, Fernandez advanced directly to the second round, where she was outplayed by Ukraine’s Dayana Yastremska 1–6, 2–6.
Days after her Brisbane campaign came to an end, Fernandez turned to Instagram to engage with fans, responding to a handful of their questions. The Canadian shared screenshots from the Q&A in a multi-slide post, accompanied by a caption that read: “You guys are so curious🤫.”
One fan asked Fernandez what career she would have pursued had tennis not been part of her life, prompting her to reply, “100% I’d be a soccer/ futbol player.”
One fan asked Fernandez about her ethnicity, and she addressed it by replying, “I am Canadian. I was born in Montreal, Canada, speak French and English. My mom was born in Toronto, Canada and my grandparents are from Philippines. My dad was born in Ecuador and that is why I speak Spanish.”
When a fan asked her about her Australian Open outfit, she replied, “keeping this one a surprise for a little bit longer.”
When a fan asked whether she plays golf, Fernandez responded with a cheeky counter-question of her own, asking, “do mini golf and Top golf count?”
In the opening slide, Fernandez shared a photo of herself holding an ice cream, with several fan questions about her relationship status and whether she was dating arranged around the image. However, the post appeared designed to spotlight the curiosity of her followers, as she chose not to address any of those questions directly.
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Last year, Fernandez drew widespread attention with a unique take on dating, inviting fans to reach out for the chance to join her on a one-hour date in Montreal. The Canadian later shared that, despite her achievements on court, she had never gone on a date before.
The response was overwhelming, with more than 100 messages arriving on the first day alone, from which she selected one person who stood out. The 2021 US Open finalist later confirmed that the date was going well.
