NEW YORK - Leyla Fernandez is a self-described "happy-go-lucky girl" who is having the time of her life at Flushing Meadows, raising her fists, pumping her arms and slamming two past US Open champions. The crowd is increasing by defeating. First Grand Slam Quarterfinals.
A day before her 19th birthday, the unseeded Canadian left-hander stunned 2016 title winner Angelique Kerber 4-6, 7-6(5), 6-2 in the final five games on Sunday. In her name, it shows that she was the defense's earlier trouble. Champion Naomi Osaka was certainly no fluke.
With the chivalry of a veteran, with the grit and gusto to face big losses against more accomplished opponents, Fernandez is displaying strokes and a demeanor that left Kerber offering this assessment: "He'll be looking forward to the next few years." I can go really far."
How about next week?
Ask Fernandez about the secret to her success, and she repeatedly mentions two factors. Be sure to enjoy your time on the court. The second is family support, as her father, who is from Ecuador, her mother, who is Filipino Canadian, and her sisters "definitely put happiness for me."
She credits her father - who has coached her and instructed her in daily phone calls while back home, taking care of a younger sibling - and her mother - who have been helping other family members and Fernandez's fitness. On-court with the trainer leading the cheers. Seats - to teach a valuable lesson that has nothing to do with tennis.
He made sure to emphasize, Fernandez said, "You can't take things too seriously, you have to mature, but at the same time be a kid, let loose, have fun, eat chocolate whenever you want, and just have fun." Do it, watch movies, go beyond your bedtime."
Against Osaka at Arthur Ashe Stadium two nights earlier, Fernandez dropped the opening set against Kerber at the Louis Armstrong Stadium, which was so full that spectators were being turned away at doors.
And against Osaka, Fernandez lagged in the second set: Kerber led the break at 4-2.
Both times, the 73rd-ranked Fernández managed to get people in her side's seats, ecstatic with her every-run, impossible-angle groundstroke, which led to a 45–28 lead in the winners.
Fernandez redirects his opponent's shots swiftly and effortlessly, sometimes dropping to the knee near the baseline to achieve proper leverage. This is a similar style to another, the lefty, Kerber, used to reach No. 1 in the rankings and claim three Grand Slam titles.
Kerber is 33 and playing well enough to reach the Wimbledon semi-finals in July, but instead of that experience paying off, Fernandez felt the age difference worked in his favor as the competition lasted two hours.
"I was honestly exhausted in the third set," admitted Fernandez. "But with that thought, I was saying to myself, like, 'If I'm tired, she must be tired.'"
Nevertheless, in the last set, Kerber held a break point with a chance to go up 3-1. Fernandez erased that chance with a cross-court forehand winner. Kerber would not claim another game.
When it was over, Fernandez raised her arms, then leaned forward to place her hands on her knees and smiled. She stood and patted her chest with her palm, while Kerber folded her hands around the net and offered a hand around Fernandez's shoulders.
When asked about playing with the kind of independence that Fernandez displayed, Kerber said, "I remember it really well." "I mean it's [a] few years ago. But of course, I mean, there's no pressure on that."
Now Fernandez, who has only reached the third round in a major tournament so far, will face No. 5 seed Elina Svitolina in the quarterfinals. Another women's matchup on Tuesday will be No. 2 Arya Sabalenka against 2021 French Open champion Barbora Krejcikova, who beat two-time Grand Slam champion Garbine Muguruza 6-3, 7-6(4) to pick up and drop a late medical timeout. Defeated after needing help. Court when the topsy-turvy match ended.
Eighth seed Krejcikova took a medical timeout after going 6-5 in the second set, after saying she wanted to see a trainer as she reported a diaphragm issue to the chair umpire. When play resumed after the break, Krejcikova won seven consecutive points. He also angered eighth seed Muguruza by taking the time between the two points.