Leylah Annie Fernandez is putting the tennis world on notice with a strong year, but nothing has made heads turn like her charge to the U.S. Open semifinal. She didn’t have a cakewalk to the final four, as she beat massive names in the women’s tennis circuit including Naomi Osaka, Angelique Kerber, and Elina Svitolina – all of whom ranked in the top 16 in tournament seeding.
While we’re all very proud of Leylah’s success in Canada, it’s also important to recognize how she got to where she is. Leylah’s father, Jorge, is an immigrant from Ecuador, while her mother is a Canadian citizen with a Filipina background.
Speaking with Mark Masters ahead of Leylah’s semifinal matchup against Aryna Sabalenka, Jorge discussed what it means to his family to represent Canada on the international stage. Through teary eyes, Jorge explains that it wouldn’t have been possible had Canada not opened its doors to him as an immigrant.
While Jorge is obviously proud of his daughter, you can also see just how grateful he was for being given the opportunities he was in Canada. From there, he was able to give Leylah the opportunities she needed to discover her craft.
Now she’s one of four women remaining in the U.S. Open. Absolutely incredible.
(H/T Mark Masters)
