Leylah Fernandez faced both triumph and heartbreak at the 2025 US Open. She struck gold in doubles with tennis legend Venus Williams, but her singles campaign ended earlier than she’d hoped against defending champion Aryna Sabalenka. Still, the Canadian walked away with plenty to smile about.
How Did Leylah Fernandez Perform at the 2025 US Open?
Before arriving in New York, Fernandez built momentum through four hard-court tournaments: the 2025 Citi DC Open, the Canadian Open, the Cincinnati Open, and the Monterrey Open. She defeated Anna Kalinskaya in the final to capture the Washington, D.C. title, but she struggled with early exits in Cincinnati and Monterrey. She also fell in the first round in Toronto.
At the 2025 US Open, Fernandez entered as the 31st seed in singles. She dominated her opening match against fellow Canadian qualifier Rebecca Marino, winning 6-2, 6-1. The second round proved more challenging, but she fought back from a set down to overcome Elsa Jacquemot 2-6, 6-3, 6-2.
Her singles run ended in the third round when defending champion and top seed Sabalenka proved too strong, winning 6-3, 7-6(2). Despite the loss, Fernandez showed she could compete with the world’s best.
We’re in for a treat! 🍿
Fernandez with a dazzling volley in an 11-minute opening game! pic.twitter.com/BEu14YNHd1
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) August 29, 2025
What Made Fernandez’s Doubles Partnership With Venus Williams Special?
The real magic happened in doubles, where Fernandez partnered with Venus Williams. The unlikely duo received a wild card entry and made the most of their opportunity.
They started strong by upsetting the sixth-seeded team of Lyudmyla Kichenok and Ellen Perez, winning 7-6(4), 6-3 in the first round. The momentum continued in the second round as they defeated Ulrikke Eikeri and Eri Hozumi 7-6(1), 6-1.
Textbook doubles from Venus Williams and Leylah Fernandez! 📚 pic.twitter.com/Ep9QTsToD2
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 1, 2025
The American-Canadian partnership reached the quarterfinals by defeating the 12th-seeded pair of Ekaterina Alexandrova and Zhang Shuai 6-3, 6-4 in the third round. However, their impressive run ended against the top-seeded team of Kateřina Siniaková and Taylor Townsend, who won 6-1, 6-2 in the quarterfinals.
Cuteness overload ❤️
Leylah Fernandez invited Venus Williams to do her signature twirl-wave after their doubles win today. pic.twitter.com/WDuiWYEuZT
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) August 28, 2025
This marked Fernandez’s second quarterfinal appearance in US Open women’s doubles. She previously reached this stage in 2023 when she partnered with Townsend before losing to eventual champions Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe.
Following her US Open journey, Fernandez shared her gratitude on social media. “A @usopen to smile about 😀Thank you New York. Thank you @venuswilliams Thanks to my team who fully supported me. Thanks to the fans for all the love,” Fernandez wrote on Instagram.
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Where Will Fernandez Compete Next?
Following her US Open campaign, Fernandez is expected to compete at the 2025 Guadalajara Open. The WTA 500 hard-court tournament will be held from Sept. 8 to 14, 2025, at the Panamerican Tennis Center in Zapopan, Guadalajara, Mexico.
She’ll face intense competition from players like Kalinskaya, Emma Navarro, Elise Mertens, Tatjana Maria, Sonay Kartal, Jeļena Ostapenko, and former champion Maria Sakkari.
Fernandez has mixed results in Guadalajara. She skipped the tournament last year but has competed twice before. In her 2022 debut, she lost a heartbreaker to 10th seed Belinda Bencic in the first round, falling 5-7, 7-6(10), 6-3.
The 2023 edition proved more successful. The former World No. 13 defeated qualifier Asia Muhammad 6-1, 6-3 in the first round, then upset 13th seed Mertens 6-3, 6-4. She followed that by beating Navarro 6-2, 6-3 in the third round before falling to Sofia Kenin in the quarterfinals 4-6, 7-6(6), 1-6.
