The Resilience Trophy

It is thanks to the strength of character that has characterized her since the beginning of her career that Leylah Fernandez won her second WTA title on Sunday. The Quebecer had to erase no less than five championship balls before being able to lift the trophy again in Monterrey.

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This 6-7 (5), 6-4 and 7-6 (3) victory at the expense of Colombian Camila Osorio allows the Quebecer to defend this title acquired a year ago and the precious points in the standings that accompany.

But as the score indicates, this final, played in nearly three hours, was far from being a walk in the park for the champion defendant. At 6-5, final set, Osorio had four chances to end the game. She had had another earlier, in the ninth game.

This fifth match point, Leylah has also erased it in strange circumstances. The intensity of the lights in the Mexican stadium had suddenly dimmed in the middle of the previous exchange.

The second seed lost the point, but pleaded her case to the referee, even asking to see the head of officials. She felt that this change in brightness had bothered her.

His request was successful and Osorio, ranked fifth favorite and 44^e world, once again had the title at the end of his racket. Fernandez had to wait about twenty minutes, the time for the lighting to come back completely, to serve again.

Despite the wait, the 19-year-old didn’t flinch. She won that point and then the next, carrying both players in a tiebreaker which she dominated.

A long hug

Very moved, the champion of the day waved her fist several times once her coronation was confirmed. A year ago, during her first coronation, the left-hander said she was saddened to have won in the absence of her family.

But this time, she was able to climb the stands to find her dad, Jorge, whom she hugged for a long time.

Leylah also fought back tears when she thanked her father, “her coach and her best friend”, for his support throughout the last week, during her speech on the field.

A speech that the Quebecer made entirely in Spanish, one of the three languages ​​​​she masters, with French and English.

She was pulling back

These five erased championship balls were not the only demonstration of the strength of character of Fernandez in this confrontation. A will to win that many discovered during the last United States Open, when the Laval native eliminated four favorites before losing in the final.

After losing a first set that she was leading 4-1, the little player bounced back in the second set. She let slip one of her two breaks in advance, but this time managed to stop the bleeding to create equality in the match.

Leylah then trailed 3-1, then 4-2 in this ultimate round. It must be said that like her rival of the day, Osorio, 20, also proved to be a tenacious competitor. In particular, she offered herself 15 chances to take the serve of Fernandez and succeeded four times.

So Fernandez is champion again, in a tournament that obviously suits her well. This title allows her to become the most successful Quebecer in the history of the WTA. Aleksandra Wozniak (Stanford, 2008) and Eugenie Bouchard (Nuremberg, 2014) are the other two players from the province to have been crowned there.

It also allows him to enrich himself by some $40,000 and to remain 21^e in the world rankings, very close to a place among the top 20.

But above all, he confirms that the good form displayed during the New York fortnight, in September, was not the result of chance.

Finally a victory in front of his dad

The television broadcast of the Monterrey final provided an emotional moment when Leylah Fernandez took to the stands to celebrate the title with her father and coach, Jorge.

The two accomplices hugged for a long time. Words were not necessary. Finally, they could celebrate together the fruit of their work and their sacrifices of the last years.

Because a year ago, when the Quebecer won the first title of her career at this same tournament, her relatives were not there.

Her father, who doesn’t travel with his protege to every tournament, was also absent from the US Open final she played in last September.

“We looked each other in the eye. I think at that time, we didn’t need to talk. We realized that we had accomplished what very few people can do,” she explained after her victory.

“I was sad not to have my family with me last year, because I like to celebrate with those around me. To have my father here is very special. I hope to be able to win several other titles ahead of him,” continued the champion.

His racket to a fan

The 21^e also said she was happy to have been able to celebrate this triumph in front of an audience, and not behind closed doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic. She has said it many times in the past, she fuels the energy of the crowd, as was the case at the last US Open.

Fernandez was also particularly generous to the spectators yesterday, multiplying the “selfies” after the match and offering her racket to a fan who was moved to tears.

Asked what made her so comfortable at this tournament where she now claims two titles, the Quebecer did not hesitate: “it’s the crowd and their energy”.

Subway to celebrate

Before heading to California to play the Indian Wells tournament starting Wednesday, the 20-year-old had only one wish. Find a Subway in Monterrey, “his favorite restaurant, especially after a hard game”, to celebrate with his entourage.

But the problem is that the Lavalloise has not come across any since her arrival in the Mexican city. Regardless, Leylah said she was determined to find a place to celebrate this hard-earned victory with her family.

Thanks to this triumph, Leylah Fernandez is now 2-2 in the finals on the WTA Tour. She dropped two sets on her way to the title and her Monterrey career record is 12 wins against just one loss.

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