BILLIE JEAN KING CUP

November 8, 2023

Leylah Fernandez

Team Canada

Press Conference

L. FERNANDEZ/S. Sorribes Tormo

7-6, 7-6

Team Canada - 2

Team Spain - 0

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. It might get even better with the doubles score, but what a fantastic start for Canada. You must be absolutely thrilled as a team.

LEYLAH FERNANDEZ: Yeah, no, I'm extremely happy and thrilled. It's not an easy tie. You're playing against the home-crowd favorites.

Sara today played incredible. I was just watching a little bit of the doubles, the scoring. I'm just super happy with the way that Team Canada has performed today, with the way we were able to maintain under control in some tough moments.

We were just trying to put on a good show, and the cheering section, they were amazing, especially on tough moments for my match. I was just extremely happy with the way that it's going so far.

Q. To focus on your own match a little bit, it was tense and exciting just watching it. How was it for you?

LEYLAH FERNANDEZ: Nerve-racking. I probably had a couple of minor heart attacks myself, but it was definitely an exciting match (smiling). It was a fun match to play.

Last time I played against Sara, it was a tough battle and she got the end of it. Today I'm just super happy that I was able to go through the finish line. I knew it was going to be a tough match.

I have talked with my coach, talked with my captain and my team members, and they told me that today is just a bull fight, and we're just gonna have to try to play our game, impose our game style, and in important moments and tough moments, I was able to do.

Q. Just a word about Marina, what a start for her. A, to get you guys off to a good start, but for her as an 18-year-old to come out and do what she did, that's a great achievement.

LEYLAH FERNANDEZ: Yeah, it's an amazing achievement. I'm super happy for Marina. She is definitely doing some great things on the ITF tour. She played an amazing match today.

I think definitely she helped Team Canada get on the board. You know, she's doing her part. I'm doing my part. We're all doing our parts. That's when you see the teamwork and the chemistry that we have between the girls, that kind of show on court.

You know, like I said, I'm super happy for Marina. It's a great start for her, and hopefully we can keep going this week.

Q. On the rest of the week, specifically Poland tomorrow, it's a quick turnaround. You've put yourselves in a wonderful position to go on and progress and see where it takes you later in the week, but obviously tomorrow is the big focus?

LEYLAH FERNANDEZ: Yeah, it's definitely a quick turnaround. That's like any other tournaments so far this year (smiling). But, you know, I think it will be exciting. It will be a new day, new match, new tie, new country.

We're just going to have to start from zero like any other match. We're just going to go out there, play our best, compete with a good attitude, and hopefully the tie goes our way.