US OPEN

September 7, 2021

Leylah Fernandez

Press Conference

L. FERNANDEZ/E. Svitolina

6-3, 3-6, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Would you give us your thoughts on the match today.

LEYLAH FERNANDEZ: Well, today's match was definitely one of the hardest, not only tennis-wise but also mentally and emotionally. Svitolina is a great player, great fighter. I was glad I was able to fight in the first set. In the second set she upped her level and I unfortunately made a few mistakes on key moments. I'm glad I was able to recuperate for the third set. The tiebreaker, too. A little bit lucky at 5-All, but I'll take all the luck I can get. I was glad I was able to push through the finish line.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. (Question about her dad.)

LEYLAH FERNANDEZ: Yes, I called him right after the match when I went to the locker room. He honestly told me that I put him through hell and back with this match (laughter).

But he's very happy for me. He's glad that I was able to fight for every point, I deserved this win. Just keep working, enjoy this win today, and tomorrow we'll go back to work.

Q. After you won in Acapulco, you didn't have the same results for the next couple of months. Did you feel like things were starting to turn around or something technically you worked on that has helped you?

LEYLAH FERNANDEZ: Honestly after my win in Monterrey, not in Acapulco, in Monterrey, I was training well, playing well. Just a few bad matches here and there.

I always went back to work. Went back home to work harder, try to improve my game. I was glad that every match that I played I was improving little by little.

Today or this whole few weeks I was able to showcase all the sacrifice I've made the past year so that I can get to this point.

Q. Sometimes after points you turn your back to the court, face the wall. What is going through your mind at that point? Something particular you tell yourself?

LEYLAH FERNANDEZ: For today and this match, I was only thinking of trusting myself, trusting my game. After every point, win or lose, I would always tell myself trust my game, go for my shots, just see where the ball goes.

Q. Does that change from day to day, match to match?

LEYLAH FERNANDEZ: Yes, it does. I see what I'm feeling. I see if there's one phrase that really catches me or that makes me more motivated than the others. I just keep it throughout the match.

Q. Obviously you're thriving on the big stage, like the big courts. Is that something inside of you or something you've worked on?

LEYLAH FERNANDEZ: I honestly don't know. From a very young age I think it's something from inside of me because from a very young age I've always wanted to be on the first court playing in front of parents. Even though they're not watching, I wanted to be in the first court.

Even in school, apart from presentations in front of the class that I hated, but when I had to, like, do a mini play, sing, dance, I would go out there, have fun. I would enjoy it a lot.

Over the years I've been learning how to use the crowd's energy, how to use it to my advantage even though they're cheering against me, to use it and (indiscernible) on the court.

Q. Do you get more nervous going on to a smaller court against a lesser player or a bigger player on a big court?

LEYLAH FERNANDEZ: There's no difference.

Q. Can you talk about how you're adapting to being in the limelight all of a sudden.

LEYLAH FERNANDEZ: Well, the first few days it was definitely a little bit hard. Like I said, I've been very lucky to have a great team around me. I was very lucky to have doubles the next day to keep me grounded. Now I feel like I'm a little bit more used to it.

Like I said, I have a great team around me who helps me keeping my head a little bit level and just think about my next match, not think about all the good things that are happening to me.

Q. You joked after the win about how it must be the maple syrup for you and Felix making this run. This tournament has been a lot about the young stars announcing their arrival. What factors do you think has led to this happening? How does it feel this next generation is announcing themselves here?

LEYLAH FERNANDEZ: I think we're all just super hungry to make a difference in the tennis world. I've known a few of them from the junior tours. We've always talked about and joked around that we're going to be in the WTA Tour, we're going to be on the big stage together. I'm just glad that we're doing such great jobs and doing just that.

We want to make a difference. We want to make an impact in tennis. This tournament just proves how well we're adapting to everything.

Q. Did you and Carlos have a moment at the photo shoot where you talked about all this happening right now?

LEYLAH FERNANDEZ: Well, I asked him a little question, like how he felt after the win. He's just super ecstatic. It's so fun to see all of us being so happy and having fun on the court.

Honestly, I think it just motivates us to do even more. We want to make something special out of this tournament.

Q. When you were saying about liking to be out in front when you were very young and starting to play, did you ever imagine playing somebody, a big name, and which tournament might that have been at?

LEYLAH FERNANDEZ: Oh, yeah, I've imagined myself playing on every tournament, every Grand Slam, at the biggest stage. When I was younger, since I used Justine Henin as a great example, I would imagine myself playing against her. I would also imagine myself playing against Serena and Venus, and the past few years playing against Osaka in a big tournament.

When I was younger, I've always seen myself being in a big stadium in front of so many people and just having fun on the court.

Q. Did you always win those matches?

LEYLAH FERNANDEZ: Yes (smiling). Yes, I did.

Q. You mentioned your father a lot. Why didn't he come to New York? Was it a pandemic thing? And your mindset in the tiebreaker. You talked about how tired you were the other day in the third set. What were your emotions at the start of that tiebreaker?

LEYLAH FERNANDEZ: Well, my dad didn't come for personal reasons. He wanted to stay back in Florida, enjoy his time alone. I respect that.

But I also think he trusted in me and in my game that I was going to do great things in New York, that I was going to follow his game plan, that I'm going to figure all the solutions out from any problem that I encounter.

Today in the tiebreaker, I just thought that if I'm tired, then she must be tired, too, because we've both been working so hard and I've been making her move so much, so I have no idea how she's getting to all these balls.

I just trusted myself and I trusted in my game and in my fitness that I've worked so hard the past few years that I can pass through the finish line.

Q. Yesterday you posted photos with Billie Jean King, Juan Martin del Potro. What have they said to you that still sticks with you?

LEYLAH FERNANDEZ: Well, I was lucky enough to have a small conversation with Billie Jean King. She told me to go out on court, have fun, and keep going for my shots. I just did that today. So that obviously worked.

And then with Juan Martin del Potro, just pure luck bumping into him. We just had a nice little chat. He wished me luck and we took a picture, just went our merry way.

It was awesome to see them, to meet them. They honestly inspired me to do well today.