We had to avoid falling into the trap after the 2021 United States Open. Leylah Fernandez may have fallen from her pedestal, but that was to be expected. Fortunately, at 20, there is still so much to do.
Fernandez lived a real fairy tale last year. In this short film in which she played the main role, she tasted fame and prestige for the first time.
At 19, she reached the U.S. Open final knocking down her rivals as if she alone had the recipe for victory.
This strength of character and personality have earned him worldwide attention. After she passed from the 73e at the 24e place in the world rankings in just a few weeks, expectations for him have also increased.
It was reminiscent of the episode of Eugenie Bouchard after her historic career at Wimbledon in 2014. She had reached the final, at 20, in addition to breaking through the top 5 few weeks later. However, since then, Bouchard has been in decline and has never regained its former magic.
Quebec fans refused to let history repeat itself.
It would have been in bad faith, believes Valérie Tétreault, to believe that Fernandez would automatically reach another Grand Slam tournament final this year. Especially since the trends are constantly changing in the world of women’s tennis.
“I didn’t necessarily see Leylah in the top 10, estimates the director of the National Bank Open, thinking back to this year 2022. Already, it is very good, what she has managed to do to stay in the elite and win a WTA tournament. The goal is to feel that his game continues to progress. »
Even if she made less headlines, Fernandez still hung a title, in Monterrey in February, in addition to having reached the 13e world rank, a career high. However, she lost a lot of points due to her poor performance in New York in September.
Avoid the whirlwind
With Fernandez’s surge, Tétreault recalled that the player had to deal with a lot of imponderables off the field. Unknown for her and her family. Advertising and representation contracts followed one another, and without saying that it harmed him, the fact that everything happened suddenly, “it was more adjustments than for Félix [Auger-Aliassime]let’s say “.
On the other hand, the Quebecer finds herself in a much more desirable situation than that of the player who beat her in the final at the United States Open, Emma Raducanu.
The 20-year-old Brit signed extremely lucrative deals with internationally renowned brands, but has been in freefall ever since. She is currently at 75e world rank, she constantly changes coaches and she has not won any tournaments in 2022.
Hugues Léger, new general manager of Tennis Montreal, has worked in the field of marketing for a long time and he recognizes that “it’s normal that you take advantage of the offers that are given to you when the opportunity arises, because we never know how long it will last”. From her point of view, unlike her contemporary, Fernandez managed to avoid the trap, in particular because she continued to perform well.
Andréanne Martin, general manager of Tennis Québec, also insists on the fact that the British market in which Raducanu evolves is ruthless: “What she has to live with is still incredible. They really have a huge star-system, so the pressure there is crazy! »
The perfect model
Fernandez stands out not only because of her game, but also because of everything she represents. As a woman, from a minority background, who has a background of diverse origins and who speaks three languages, she is what Tennis Montreal is trying to promote. Tennis is for everyone and the left-hander is the perfect example, says Léger.
He nevertheless notes that the task is less colossal than one might think, because the picture is already encouraging: “If you look at the young people who train here, he says, pointing to the players exchanging balls on the indoor fields of the IGA stadium, you have a diversity that is perfect and even comparable to that of soccer. It’s already established in tennis. It is an inclusive, open-minded sport that promotes diversity. »
The story of Bianca Andreescu, who arrived from Romania at a young age, is another inspiring case. As it is not the influences that are lacking, the thinking heads of Quebec tennis are optimistic for the future.
If Fernandez can stay away from the infirmary, there could be plenty of opportunities to celebrate in 2023. Especially if it’s the start of something even bigger for future generations.
