"Hopefully I will be in the top ten and play in the WTA Finals" - Leylah Fernandez reveals her goals for the 2022 season
Leylah Fernandez revealed in a recent interview that her two major goals for the 2022 season are to finish in the top-10 of the WTA rankings and qualify for the year-end WTA Finals.
The World No. 21 took a significant step towards both those targets by defending her title at the Monterrey Open on Sunday. Seeded second in the tournament, the Canadian saved five championship points to oust fifth seed Camila Osorio in an epic three-setter in the final.
Leylah Takes the Title
In a championship match featuring two players under 21, Leylah Fernandez fights off 5 match points and a truly bizarre power outtage to defeat Camila Osorio, 6-7 (5), 6-4, 7-6 (3) to repeat as champion.
Fernandez now owns a 12-1 record in Monterrey. https://t.co/GSWBUG5LQz
Speaking on the latest episode of the Match Point Canada podcast, the teenage sensation hoped to find some consistency in her third full season on the WTA Tour. Despite her clear-cut objectives for the year, Leylah Fernandez remarked that it was far more important for her to "have fun" on the court and not let professional success come in the way of her mental wellbeing.
"I am just planning to be consistent at every tournament [this season]. Hopefully, I will be in the top ten at the end of this season and play in the WTA Finals. Those are my goals for this season, and [I] just [want to] have fun," Fernandez said. "Like I've said every year, the number one thing is the mind, the body and the emotions. I just want that to be a 100% throughout the year and on court I am always going to have fun."
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Monterrey champion @leylahfernandez and younger sister 🇨🇦Bianca Jolie Fernandez join us for an exclusive interview following the @Abierto_GNP!
Plus we cover:
- 🇨🇦 from @DavisCup
- #IndianWells
- A signed Karolina Pliskova 🎾
megaphone.link/ADV5528345584 https://t.co/C1dyJUV8f8
Leylah Fernandez also touched on her experience of playing doubles with her sister Bianca Jolie Fernandez in Monterrey. Granted a wildcard into the tournament, the pair played together for the first time on the WTA Tour. Unfortunately, they fell against top seeds Elixane Lechemia and Ingrid Neel in their opener.
The Fernandez sisters - Leylah Annie and Bianca Jolie - fall in the opening round in Monterrey 6-3, 6-4 to the No. 1 seeds of Lechemia and Neel. The first of many future @WTA doubles matches for the talented 🇨🇦 siblings.
The US Open finalist disclosed that when she played doubles with her sister during their childhood, they would often get into fights with one another. But all that changed after the World No. 21 began traveling the world because of her professional career.
The Canadian admitted that the change in attitude was brought about mainly because both she and her sister understood that they needed to be friendlier towards each other during their rare moments together.
"When [me and my sister] were younger, we played doubles together and we were fighting during practically every single point. Which was hilarious because we were playing so well," Fernandez said. "But when I started traveling a bit more, we both understood the importance of being positive towards one another and being happy for each other. Just loving each other and loving our journey."
Leylah Fernandez added that they had always dreamed of playing together some day, and thanked the Monterrey Open organizers profusely for giving them the opportunity to make it happen.
"[Me and Bianca Fernandez] were very, very happy to have this opportunity [to play together at the 2022 Monterrey Open] because it is something [we] have always dreamt about," Fernandez said.
"It is definitely very, very hard for my father" - Leylah Fernandez
Leylah Fernandez also spoke about how her father Jorge Fernandez, who acts as the coach for both her and her sister Bianca Fernandez, juggles both of their schedules. The World No. 21 conceded that it was not easy on him, since he had to change his methods to cater to two "very different players" to help them achieve their own dreams.
"It is definitely very, very hard for [my father]. We are two completely different players, two completely different people. He tries to change his personality and his way of training to help both of us achieve our dreams," Fernandez said. "He has to plan for both mine and her tournaments and training to accommodate both of our needs."
However, the teenager emphasized that both of them recognized how difficult it is for their father to coach the two of them. She added that they tried their best not to force the impossible decision of choosing between the two of them on him. Leylah Fernandez took pride in noting that they left whatever happened on the court out of their personal lives and never let it permeate their familial relationships.
"The only good thing is that we both understand the struggle so we are not pushing him to make any decision of choosing between one or the other. We just want the best for one another," Fernandez said. "Anything that happens on the court stays on the court. Off the court is where all the fun happens."