US OPEN

September 3, 2021

Leylah Fernandez

Press Conference

L. FERNANDEZ/N. Osaka

5-7, 7-6, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Can you give us your thoughts about the match.

LEYLAH FERNANDEZ: Well, it was a great match. I was very happy how I played in the first set. I was serving well. I was playing well. She just edged up near the end. In the break I was telling myself to stay positive, keep fighting. I'm there, I'm close.

In the second set I guess on the very last game I found the solution to the problem of returning her serve. I'm glad that I found it. From then on I was just fighting, using the crowd's energy, putting the ball back in as much as I can, just be offensive and go for my shots.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. What was the solution you found? You didn't have any breakpoints.

LEYLAH FERNANDEZ: I don't think I've won more than two points on the return up until that game. I was trying to find different looks. I started off really far from the line. Then I was just edging closer and closer. Finally I found a pattern to her serve. I just trusted my gut and hit the ball.

Q. (Question about Leylah's serve.)

LEYLAH FERNANDEZ: I was just having fun with my serve. I talked with my coach who is also my dad. He told me to go on the court, have fun. I'm serving incredibly well. So just have to fun on the court with my serve. Hit my targets. I've been doing that really well the past few games. I'm glad that it worked.

Q. After your win in Mexico in March, a bit of a struggle, coming into this tournament a little bit under the radar. Talk about why your game is clicking here.

LEYLAH FERNANDEZ: I don't know why finally my game is clicking. The past few months, even after Monterrey, I've been working hard, training super well. My coach, my dad, is saying be patient, have confidence in your game, it will show in matches. I'm glad it finally did.

Q. You said you were serving very well. Has the confidence from the previous matches set you up for really going for your serve tonight?

LEYLAH FERNANDEZ: Yes, definitely. Like I said, I've been serving really well the past few matches. Today I just went on court with a lot of confidence on my serve, trusting it, trusting that I'm going to hit my targets when I needed to, and I did.

Q. The crowd clearly got behind you. How much did feeding off of that energy help your confidence? Naomi obviously was not feeling comfortable emotionally while she was out there. How much did that help your confidence, if at all?

LEYLAH FERNANDEZ: Like I said, I wasn't really focused on Naomi. I was only focused on myself, my game, what I needed to do.

Having the crowd there supporting me and backing me up after every point, it's amazing. It gave me the energy to keep fighting, to keep working and keep running for those balls that she hit.

I was just glad that I was able to put on a show for everyone that came to watch.

Q. You said after the match you thought before the match you were able to win. Was it just a matter of your serve or something else going on with you, natural belief you've always had that you could beat anybody?

LEYLAH FERNANDEZ: Just a natural belief. From a very young age, I knew I was able to beat anyone, anyone who is in front of me. Even playing different sports, I was always that competitive, saying I'm going to win against them, I'm going to win against my dad in soccer, even though that's like impossible. I've always had that belief. I've always, like, tried to use that in every match that I go on.

I guess today that belief came true.

Q. What is the thing tonight that you are most proud of, makes you the happiest?

LEYLAH FERNANDEZ: I think my positivity. Even a break down in the second set, or even in the first set I still believed. I still told myself that I'm closer and closer to finding a solution, that I will get that break opportunity, I will have that moment in hand. I'm just glad that I had it and I took it and ran away with it.

Q. Were you nervous at all? As Arthur Ashe, prime time. Talk about any kind of nervousness you felt.

LEYLAH FERNANDEZ: Yes, I was definitely nervous. I came on court, I was just happy. I tried to use the energy from the crowd. It definitely helped. Once I hit my first ball, I told myself, Okay, this is the moment. I just went to work.

Q. There was so much energy coming from you during the match, never seen you so animated. What was bringing the gestures out of you tonight? An hour later, have you come back down to earth yet?

LEYLAH FERNANDEZ: Yes, I think it's just the crowd. The crowd's been amazing. They've been animating me from start to finish. I just wanted to return it back to them. I'm glad that I was able to put on a show by giving them a great match. Obviously the bonus is getting the win.

I'm just very happy the way I composed myself, the way I acted on court, the way that they reacted with my attitude. Maybe I'm still up there in the clouds, but I'm happy. Now it's time for bed, I believe. I'm way past my bedtime at the moment (smiling).

Q. Earlier this year you said your goal was to make the top 10 in 2021. How does a victory like tonight give you the confidence that you're on your way to getting there?

LEYLAH FERNANDEZ: It gives me a lot of confidence. It shows that my game is improving and it is there in the top. I was able to beat a very great, amazing player. Naomi is a great person, a great player. She's done so many good things on tour. I'm just happy today I was able to show that my tennis game and all my hard work is paying off.

Q. You said you were not focusing on your opponent. It seems that you know Naomi's game very well. Seems like you know where Naomi hits the ball. Is that because you admired her and watched her matches often?

LEYLAH FERNANDEZ: Yes, I think that gave me an advantage. I've watched her win the US Open, her first US Open. I watched her win the Australian Open the very next year. Just seeing her and learning from her game has helped me shape who I am right now.

She's a great example for anybody that's on tour and all the little girls in the world. I'm just glad that I had the opportunity to play against her tonight and to show everyone that I'm also able to compete against the best players up there.

Q. Can you describe what it's like to be playing at this time with so many great Canadians playing so well. What does that do for your confidence?

LEYLAH FERNANDEZ: It gives me a lot of confidence. I'm just glad that there's so many Canadians going deep in this tournament, in the US Open.

But I think all of our goal here is just to have fun on court, to do our best, and hopefully we can inspire kids in Canada to keep going, keep working hard in anything that they do, not only in tennis but every sport that they do.