Leylah on her parents’ sacrifices for her career

Fernandez’s story is a unique one: Her father, Jorge, is a former top footballer who helped introduce his daughter to the sport and served as her first coach. When Leylah proved a formidable junior, the family made the painful decision to separate and move Jorge and Leylah to the U.S., so she could look to level up.

It’s an experience that still sticks with her.

“It was a bit difficult; my parents had to sell all of their belongings, their car, their jewelry, everything which mattered to them, only to help me fulfill my dream,” remembered Fernandez.

“I am very lucky to have parents who helped me so much in that sense,” she added. “And also to have had the chance to travel to so many places for the first time with my dad, to see the ocean for the first time in… it is very special.”

Fernandez credits her father for helping her develop her never-say-die approach, a part of her game that has become well-known in women’s tennis: Leylah never gives up.

“He taught me how to fight on the court, but also [how] to play with a different style, by hitting the ball earlier, play with more angles and use my skills against players who would be taller and stronger than me,” she said.