"My dad did his homework, we tried to replicate it, but in our own way" - Leylah Fernandez on how her father drew inspiration from Maria Sharapova, Pete Sampras & Venus and Serena Williams' fathers
Family playing a prominent role in a player's career is a tale as old as time, as Serena Williams and Venus Williams will attest. Their father, Richard Williams, sacrificed his all to ensure that his daughters were put on the best possible path to success.
Steffi Graf and her father Peter, Jennifer Capriati and her dad Stefano, and Maria Sharapova and her father Yuri, to name a few, are some of the most prominent father-daughter duos to have graced the sport.
The latest, but not the last, pair to rise up the tennis ladder is Leylah Fernandez and her father-cum-coach Jorge.
Asked at her 2022 US Open pre-tournament press conference if Venus and Serena Williams' father gave her dad a blueprint to follow, Leylah Fernandez replied in the affirmative and said that her father studied several players across the ATP and WTA tours.
"Yeah, yeah. My dad did his homework with all the fathers who have helped the WTA and ATP players. He was kind of looking into Maria Sharapova's dad, also Andre Agassi's dad, Pete Sampras' story, too," she said.
"We've kind of looked into it. We kind of learned what they did. We tried to replicate it, but in our own way. When we see that their families are successful and that they've done great things, it kind of motivated us to do the same, knowing that it's not going to be easy because we had to go through difficulties. That's not going to change," she added.
Father-daughter bonds have not always worked wonders in the sport. There have been several instances where the pairing has caused friction and even possibly stopped the player from achieving what she was capable of.
Jelena Dokic's dad Damir, who served as her coach, manager and trainer, was a big reason why she had a turbulent career. Dokic is but one of several such examples littered across generations in the sport.
The 19-year-old Fernandez stated that while they were warned of the relationship turning sour, a good communication system between them has seen it stay otherwise.
"We've been said that it's not going to work. It's not only going to destroy the father-daughter bond, but also the coach and athlete bond. But I think we found a good way to communicate, to talk, to keep going. When they saw that, like, when they saw that, they've accepted a lot more. They're like, Oh, it does work," she said.
"She's an icon, a legend; she's fought for us, she's done incredible things" - Leylah Fernandez on Serena Williams
Serena Williams has been receiving praise and compliments from all corners ever since she announced her plans to retire earlier this month. Leylah Fernandez joined the chorus, stating that the American veteran has been a champion for women all over, not just in the sport.
"She's an icon. She's a legend. Those are, like, the first few words that come to mind when I think about her. She has done so much for the sport, not only for tennis players, but for women in general. She's fought for us. She's done incredible things," she said.
In tennis, the Canadian believes that Serena Williams has paved a better path for the next generation of players.
"It's a little sad to see her leave the sport. But she's set out a good path for all of the WTA players, even the ATP players, to reach their own goals, voice their thoughts, keep fighting for what they believe in. I think it's a great way to leave the sport," she said.