Photo courtesy of US Open / USTA
NEW YORK — Filipino Canadian tennis star Leylah Annie Fernandez advanced to the third round of the 2025 US Open after a gritty comeback win over France’s Elsa Jacquemot on Wednesday, August 27, at Court 5 of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.
Fernandez, 22, dropped the opening set but regained her composure to post a 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 victory. The triumph marks her first trip back to the US Open’s third round since her memorable run to the final in 2021.
Shifting the match’s balance
Jacquemot started aggressively, using sharp groundstrokes to seize the first set 6-2. But Fernandez adjusted her tactics, attacking the net with confidence and dictating rallies with her trademark left-handed forehand. She won 85 percent of her points at the net and converted key break opportunities in the second and third sets to close out the match.
Fernandez also deployed well-timed drop shots, using touch and placement to disrupt Jacquemot’s rhythm and force her out of position. Those finesse plays broke the flow of extended rallies and helped Fernandez regain control after dropping the first set.
Summer momentum: Washington, D.C. breakthrough
Fernandez arrived in New York with confidence boosted by a milestone victory earlier this summer at the Mubadala Citi DC Open, where she captured her first-ever WTA 500 title. In Washington, she toppled a stacked field that included top seed Jessica Pegula and Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina.
Her semifinal win over Rybakina lasted more than three hours and required her to save a match point under grueling heat and humidity. Fernandez then swept past Anna Kalinskaya in the final, 6-1, 6-2, sealing the first set with a perfectly executed drop shot that underlined her tactical creativity. The Washington triumph not only marked her fourth career title but also lifted her back into the world’s Top 25, reinforcing her resurgence ahead of the US Open.
Back in familiar territory
For Fernandez, the win over Jacquemot carries symbolic weight. The 2021 US Open runner-up has not reached the third round in New York since that breakthrough year when she defeated several top-ranked players to capture global attention. Returning to this stage reflects both her perseverance and her steady climb back into form after injuries and uneven results in the years that followed.
Currently ranked No. 33, Fernandez has carried momentum from her summer campaign, and her US Open form suggests she is once again ready to challenge the game’s elite.
Pride for Canada and the Philippines
Born and raised in Montreal to a Filipino mother, Irene Exevea, and an Ecuadorian father, Jorge Fernandez, Leylah has become a celebrated figure in both Canada and the Philippines. Her success on the world stage resonates deeply with the global Filipino community, many of whom recall her emotional run in New York four years ago.
Carrying momentum forward
As Fernandez progresses, she does so not only for herself but also as a symbol of pride for two nations. Each win reinforces her stature as both a Canadian standout and a Filipino inspiration, carrying with her the energy of communities who see in her story the possibility of rising higher, no matter the odds.
