“It’s tough to lose and (go) through that little rut, but I just want to keep competing,” Leylah Fernandez confessed two months ago after finally clinching a WTA title in her career. The 23-year-old rose to fame as a teenager after she made it to the US Open final four years ago. Since then, however, Fernandez has not had an easy ride on the court. But this season, the fate seems to have changed, as the Canadian just won her second WTA title. And, she credits the major chunk of her success to her father.

The Canadian WTA pro beat Czechia’s rising teenage star Tereza Valentova on Sunday. In the final of the Japan Open, in Osaka, Fernandez bested Valentova in a tight battle. She took the first set with a bagel. However, Valentova made a strong comeback to level the fight. Then, in the thrilling decider, Fernandez regained her momentum. After two hours and 11 minutes, she captured the WTA 250 event’s trophy with a score line of 6-0, 5-7, 6-3.

Undoubtedly, Fernandez was extremely happy to clinch her second WTA title in just two months. However, she knows that the biggest reason for her success is none other than her father Jorge Fernandez. He is her permanent coach and hitting partner. Crediting him for her win, after various failed attempts across tournaments in the last one year, she admitted, “I want to thank my team and my dad, who’s also my coach, and my hitting partner,” as per WTA’s website on October 19. “Thank you so much for suffering with me this past week, past month and past year.”

Extending her gratitude to her loved ones, she added, “I also want to thank my family and loved ones back home. Without you, I wouldn’t be here. Without everyone’s sacrifices and support, I wouldn’t be on this stage, so thank you so much for all the love and motivation you’ve given me.”

Prior to the Citi Open this season, Fernandez was struggling to win a single trophy. Since the beginning of 2025, she failed to make any impact in the events like the Italian Open, Strasbourg, French Open, HSBC Championships, Bad Homburg Open and others. In July, however, the 23-year-old showed her resilience and determination by reaching the summit clash in Washington D.C. She went on to win the WTA 500 tournament after besting Russian star Anna Kalinskaya with a score line of 6-1, 6-2.

With her win in Japan, Fernandez climbs five spots to No. 22 in the PIF WTA Live Rankings and reclaims the Canadian No. 1 ranking from Victora Mboko.

Leylah Fernandez admires Tereza Valentova for an “amazing” Japan Open run

While Leylah Fernandez clinched her victory in Osaka, Valentova also had a stellar campaign throughout her journey at the WTA 250 event. Before making it to the final, the Czech tennis star went on to beat some established names like Jaqueline Cristian, Olga Danilovic, Elise Mertens, and Alex Eala.

Fernandez didn’t forget to give a shoutout to the 18-year-old Czechian. Commending her fighting spirit, she said, “First of all, congratulations Tereza,” while adding, “You played amazing, and it’s been a wonderful week for you, your coach and your family. I’m sure I’m going to see you in many more finals like this one.”

Valentova also appreciated her gesture. She responded, “I wanna congratulate Leylah for a really good tournament and really good tennis. Congrats to you and your team for a really good week.”

Late, the Canadian also thanked her fans who kept cheering for her throughout the week. “Without you, we wouldn’t be here, so thank you so much for supporting us, motivating us and bringing the good energy.” It will be intriguing to see whether the World No.27 can keep up the winning momentum going forward in subsequent campaigns.