Leylah Fernandez has just claimed the biggest title of her career thus far, beating Anna Kalinskaya comprehensively to win the Washington Open.
It marked the culmination of a remarkable week for the Canadian, who will now head to Montreal brimming with confidence.
And rightly so given the calibre of opposition she overcame, with one particularly stunning comeback victory over Elena Rybakina the standout alongside her victory over top seed Jessica Pegula.
Such a win was particularly impressive, since Rybakina had given Fernandez a ‘reality check’ the last time they played.
A bubbly and affable personality, it has been refreshing to see her so well-covered by the media as she has stormed through the tournament.
Now, following her title triumph, Fernandez has actually revealed an agreement she made with a fellow professional mid-way through the tournament that they will now have to execute.
Leylah Fernandez reveals what she said to Alejandro Davidovich Fokina before the final
Chatting with Tennis Channel, it was fellow finalist Alejandro Davidovich Fokina whom she revealed as the player whose camp she has remained in constant contact with throughout her time at the Washington Open.
And, as a couple of superstitious individuals, their agreement was seemingly a plan to try to break one another out of their habits ahead of the final.
Sadly for the Spaniard, his fairytale run did not culminate in a title, but he can still feel incredibly proud of the top players he knocked out during the event.
He may have something to look forward to after his agreement with Fernandez though, as she revealed the food-based plan they had made before the final: “Oh, it’s going to be very exciting. You know, for myself, all week.
“Actually, Davidovich’s team and I, we were kind of joking around because we’re both very superstitious and he likes to eat Chipotle and I was kind of eating burgers and fries, so we kind of agreed that if we both make it in the Sunday finals, we’re gonna eat Chipotle before we’re going to Canada.
“So we’ll see how he does it, but I know for sure I’m going to be eating Chipotle at the end of the night, and I’ll be travelling to Montreal with loads of confidence leading up to my first 1000 of the summer, and, you know, hopefully it’s gonna be a fun one and I get to enjoy the home crowd.”
Leylah Fernandez’s hard-court prowess is proven again
For years now, Fernandez has been a threat on these hard courts.
After all, having reached a US Open final at the age of just 19, her talent and mental toughness have always been evident.
Despite losing to Emma Raducanu, it’s fair to say that the 22-year-old has enjoyed the more consistent career out of those two young finalists following that historic event, with this marking her third WTA title.
As noted earlier, Fernandez will have a golden chance to maintain this form in her home country, before then heading to Cincinnati for her final preparation event before the US Open.
There is not a player on tour who will want to see this young superstar anywhere near them in the draw for the final Grand Slam of the season.
