Having back-to-back failures and then accomplishing success tastes different. It stands true in the case of Canadian WTA star, 22-year-old Leylah Fernandez. Following recent early exits at the French Open and then Wimbledon, she’s made a stunning comeback to form this week. She did so in style, besting some of the most formidable opponents on the tour. At the Citi Open in Washington, D.C., she’s overcome tough challenges posed by veterans like Jessica Pegula and Taylor Townsend before outplaying 2022 Wimbledon queen Elena Rybakina on Saturday in the semifinal battle. Fernandez is on a roll.

But she’s not done yet. She’s now looking to clinch a trophy in her maiden final of 2025. While she’s gearing up for the big face-off against a strong rival, Anna Kalinskaya, perhaps this is the best time to know more about this Canadian sensation. Who and what defines Leylah when it comes to her family and cultural roots?

Where is she from and what is her nationality?

Leylah Fernandez was born in 2002, in Montreal, Canada. However, currently she resides in Boynton Beach, Florida. She also has two siblings. Her elder sister Jodeci is a dentist in Ohio, while her younger sister Bianca Jolie is also a tennis player.

What is Leylah Fernandez’s ethnicity?

Leylah Fernandez is of mixed descent. While she’s a Canadian national, she has a Filipino connection. How? Her father, Jorge Fernandez, is an Ecuador-Canadian national. He is a former coach and ex-professional soccer player. On the other hand, her mother, Irene Fernandez, is Filipino-Canadian. Both of her parents are Canadian citizens.

Previously, the WTA pro has spoken highly of her parents while admiring their efforts in her life. “My dad is my coach, and my mom is the one who kept our family together.” reported media outlet Tuko in July 2025. Her dad gave up his soccer career to fully invest in her tennis endeavors and became her permanent coach.

Contributing equally, her mother Irene moved to California for work. For years she stayed away from Leylah and sacrificed her time with her daughter to fulfill her tennis training needs.

Fun fact: The biggest benefit of having a mixed ethnicity is that Leylah is now efficient in speaking three languages fluently, namely, English, Spanish, and French.

Is Leylah Fernandez Christian?

Growing up as a child, Leylah Fernandez pursued her education at the École Secondaire Antoine-de-Saint-Exupéry. It is a public co-ed secondary school located in St. Leonard, Quebec, Canada. There’s no exact detail available on whether Fernandez is Christian by faith.

Interestingly, she previously revealed that one of her teachers told her “to stop playing tennis, you’ll never make it, just focus on school,” Seems like that suggestion fueled a young Leylah to take those words and turn them around to prove that she had potential to play the racket sport. “I’m glad she told me that because every day I have that phrase in my head saying, ‘I’m going to keep going, push through, prove to her everything I’ve dreamed of, I’m going to achieve.’”

This weekend, Fernandez will look to achieve her maiden WTA trophy of the season. After besting a strong opponent like Rybakina in the semis, she will try to replicate the same form against Kalinskaya in the Citi Open summit clash. And guess what? Their H2H history also gives her a slight edge. In their only meeting during the 2021 Guadalajara event in Mexico, the Canadian beat the Russian pro. During an intense R32 three-setter, she emerged victorious with a scoreline of 7-5, 4-6, 6-4.

This time, too, the World No.36 will try to dominate Kalinskaya and capture the crown in Washington, D.C. What are your thoughts on her prospects against the Russian WTA star? Let us know in the comments below.