MUBADALA CITI DC OPEN

July 26, 2025

Leylah Fernandez

Press Conference

L. FERNANDEZ/E. Rybakina

6-7, 7-6, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Leylah, congrats. Can you share your thoughts on the match today?

LEYLAH FERNANDEZ: Yeah. First of all, thank you. It was definitely a tough match. It was a battle from beginning to end. I knew Elena, she's going to come in strong, especially being super aggressive from the first two balls.

I just tried to focus on my own game, and I'm glad that in important moments I was able to pull through.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. I saw the picture of your water bottle with the message: Hard work, fight. How much of that was something you were reinforcing to yourself throughout the match, particularly when you're down 5-4 in the second and you need to break to stay alive?

LEYLAH FERNANDEZ: Every changeover. Every time I'm at my water bottles, I drink, I try to read the message as quickly as possible just to remind myself that it's not over till it's over.

"Hard work" and "fight" has been the pillars, my tennis journey, my dad and I and our family on everyday life. Yeah.

Q. You have talked about staying positive in the tough moments, especially it's been a theme for you this week. When you were down 1-3, Love-40, seemed like it was only going to go one way. What were you telling yourself and how did you manage to come back in that situation?

LEYLAH FERNANDEZ: I wasn't actually telling myself much at that point. I was just looking at my coach. I think I was on the same side. He was just telling me, Look, bury your serve.

I guess that's kind of what I thought of going into that game at Love-40. If I was going to lose that game, I was going to at least do what my coach is telling me.

I'm glad that at that point it worked out and I was able to kind of zone into the objectives. But yeah, just in that moment, it was actually listen to my coach and execute. Don't overthink too much.

Q. The end of the match when you climb into your players box, that's typically the scene you see after winning a title. In that moment, what was that like when, after 3 hours, 12 minutes, third-set tiebreak, what were those ensuing few moments like for you?

LEYLAH FERNANDEZ: You know, it was definitely an important moment for myself. I have had a tough couple of years, and there has been key people that stayed with me in those tough moments.

So my coach, who is also my dad, he was the one that told me not to stop, don't stop believing. Keep working hard, keep fighting. You know, I think there was also a moment where both of us, where we were really, I think, really thinking about either taking a break or maybe a step back so that we can regroup, refocus, and find the love of the game again.

You know, in those times, we got a little bit of help from past coaches that has helped me. Max from Florida, he was incredible for those two days I was back home. It was great to hit with him, great to find the joy in tennis again, and the hard work and the difficulties.

Same with Francisco Sanchez from Montreal. He was actually in Spain for vacation, and he was willing to help out, lend a hand to the both of us.

I think those two people, before coming here, definitely helped both of us, my dad and myself, into not quitting and to keep going.

Q. That was right before here?

LEYLAH FERNANDEZ: Yeah, that was literally right before here. After Wimbledon I went to Spain, took a couple of days off. When I restarted training, I trained in the morning. And again, Francisco was there, it was a family vacation, and we were able to kind of schedule training in the morning together.

We just kind of played, have fun on court, work hard, go through some difficulties, not overcomplicate things. It was good, and it kind of helped my dad and I into keeping things simple.

Q. That was obviously a marathon of a match you just played. I know earlier in the week you said something about how with the heat, with the humidity, if you had had to go to a third set, you weren't sure how you were going to be able to do it. Today you did have to do that. How did you find a way to get that done in the weather?

LEYLAH FERNANDEZ: I think mentally I told myself before the match that I have already gone through the worst yesterday. So, you know, today I was just, like, go out there and push through.

Thankfully the third set, the clouds came in, there was a little bit more windy, so it wasn't as hot and not as humid as it was yesterday.

I also took some measurements. I drank a lot of water pre-match, a lot of electrolytes, a lot of carbohydrates. I was more prepared today, I would say, or even just overly prepared.

You know, again, I thought of yesterday I went through the worst, and if I was going to get rolled out in a stretcher today, then so be it, but I was just going to give it my all.

Q. You have done it a few different ways during this press conference, I'm curious how you think of calling him your coach and calling him your dad. What sort of goes through your mind? Is he constantly both always to you? How do you see this dual-purpose relationship you have?

LEYLAH FERNANDEZ: I think right now, I'm able to separate both. So I say like here in the press conference, coach and dad, because I don't know if a lot of people know that he's also my dad.

When I'm on court, I think of him as my coach. When I do interviews now, I'm talking to him, mentioning him more as my coach. But off court, during dinner, he's my dad. I can talk to him for hours, talk shit, and just be okay with it.

Yeah, I think at the moment, again, we have found a balance where once we're in the stadium, on court, in the facilities, it's work. So I'm going to see him as a coach. He's going to see me as a player. You know, whatever instructions he tells me, I have to execute it as if I'm working with any other coach.

When I'm off court or when I'm back at the hotel and work is finally done in the evening, we enjoy each other's company. I see him as a dad. I get to talk to him about the family, ask him how's work doing, right? It's funny, huh?

But yeah, just kind of joke around a little bit.

Q. One tournament where he wasn't with you was New York when you made the final. There has been a little bit of excitement as the draw has shaped up here, you could possibly, still on court, possibly play Emma in a rematch of the final. What would that be like if you do get to play her, first meeting since that unexpected really big Grand Slam final?

LEYLAH FERNANDEZ: I think for the both of us, it would be a tremendous result. We have come a long way from 2021 US Open final, so for myself, I'm just very, very happy that I was able to push through these last four rounds.

You know, at the time, my coach wasn't there with me. He was back home, and that's also partly my fault. I'm very superstitious. So during the week he kept asking, like, Do you want me to come?

I'm like, I don't know. I'm superstitious. I like how things are going. He's also superstitious too, so he stayed back.

But this time, from the first round now, we were feeling good, we were having good fun, so he's going to be here till the very end. Poor him, but yeah (smiling).

Q. A couple of confirmations. Was it cramping yesterday?

LEYLAH FERNANDEZ: Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yesterday was definitely some cramps. Started off with the foot. Then it kind of went up the leg. You know, it was an adventure, because it's the first time where it has ever really happened to me during a match, or even during training. I don't even remember when I had cramps.

But, you know, it was an adventure, and as I said, I have gone through the worst yesterday. Today it felt like I was on Cloud 9. So yeah, all's good.

Q. If I heard you correctly earlier, I don't want to overdramatize, but you suggested maybe the love of the game was getting away a little bit, and you considered taking a pause. You're in the final tomorrow. Was it possible you were not going to be here?

LEYLAH FERNANDEZ: Oh, no. No, no, no, no, no. After Wimbledon, I would say, like, we were thinking about not playing Washington, but again, I love tennis, I love competing so much, that it was, like, there's no way I'm going to miss out on this beautiful tournament.

We just went back to training and we just started from basics. As I said, the two coaches helped not only myself but it also helped my coach into keeping things simple and keep trusting the process.

We're doing things right. The results are going to come. To keep enjoying it and to not focus too much on results but focus on how my game is improving.

Q. Speaking of family, I was in Toronto last year when you and Bianca had your exciting doubles run. I was curious if we will see the Fernandez sisters take the court in Montreal this year or any time later this summer or fall?

LEYLAH FERNANDEZ: We definitely plan on playing doubles in Montreal this year. It's going to be good fun to reconnect and play together.

I'm going to be very curious to see who's going to be the boss on the court. I feel like it will be my sister, because she likes to take charge. So it's going to be an interesting dynamic.

Honestly, I can't wait to be playing with her, to enjoy some good tennis, and in front of friends and family in Montreal is going to be super fun.