Leylah Fernandez’s troubling start to the 2026 WTA campaign continued on Sunday.
Fernandez, ranked 27th in the world, was defeated 6-4, 6-3 by Ann Li at the Qatar Open – continuing the Canadian’s dire start to the campaign.
Fernandez, the 2021 US Open finalist, enjoyed a stellar second half to the 2025 tennis season: winning the Washington Open and Japan Women’s Open.
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The Canadian also reached the Osaka Open round of 16 and the Hong Kong Open semi-finals.
Unfortunately for fans of Fernandez, her good form has not translated into 2026, as evidenced by her poor recent results.
Leylah Fernandez’s worrying start to 2026
Leylah Fernandez has won only one of her six singles matches to start the 2026 tennis season.
The 23-year-old began her season at the Brisbane International. Despite being seeded 13th, Fernandez was knocked out in the first round by Dayana Yastremska.
Six days later, Fernandez was handed a slice of luck.
The Canadian had been due to face Mirra Andreeva at the Adelaide International. However, the draw changed at the last minute, meaning Fernandez faced unseeded Diana Shnaider instead.
Again, Fernandez was unable to advance, losing 7-5, 6-3 to the German player.
Fernandez then travelled to Melbourne for the Australian Open, where she lost in the first round to Indonesian star Janice Tjen.
Two weeks later, Fernandez won her first match of the season in Abu Dhabi. The 23-year-old defeated Chloe Paquet 6-0, 6-3 before losing to McCartney Kessler, 6-3, 6-2.
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On Sunday, Fernandez recorded a fifth loss in six matches when she was defeated by Ann Li in Doha, Qatar.
Leylah Fernandez’s next event
Leylah Fernandez is currently set to forgo the Merida Open and ATX Open – where Venus Williams will be competing – and instead return to play Indian Wells.
The tournament, set to take place from March 4 to 15, is a WTA 1000 event. The event has been in place on the WTA Tour since 1989 and was last won by Mirra Andreeva.
Andreeva, then 18 years old, defeated Aryna Sabalenka to win the 2025 title.
| Round | Opponent | Score |
| Round of 64 | Varvara Gracheva | 7-5, 6-4 |
| Round of 32 | Clara Tauson | 6-3, 6-0 |
| Round of 16 | Elena Rybakina | 6-1, 6-2 |
| Quarter-final | Elina Svitolina | 7-5, 6-3 |
| Semi-final | Iga Swiatek | 7-6, 1-6, 6-3 |
| Final | Aryna Sabalenka | 2-6, 6-4, 6-3 |
As for Leylah Fernandez, she was knocked out in the first round of the 2025 event by Jacqueline Cristian: 7-5, 6-7, 3-6.
