Leylah Fernandez, 20, has vowed to do her best to learn and grow from these moments in which she is battling self-doubts and dealing with mental struggles. Fernandez, the 2021 US Open runner-up, suffered a first-round loss to Ekaterina Alexandrova at Flushing Meadows on Tuesday.
Fernandez, a former world No 13, has been struggling with consistency throughout the entire season and she hasn't had much success. At the US Open - where she made her big career breakthrough two years ago - Fernandez's tough luck continued as the Canadian suffered a tight 6-7 (4) 7-5 4-6 loss to Alexandrova.
Fernandez vows to learn from these moments of self doubt
"Tennis is not just about physical strength and technique; it's a mental battle that pushes me to my limits. Each match, each point, challenges my resilience and determination.
And yes, there are days when the mental struggle feels overwhelming when self-doubt creeps in. But here's the thing: I know I'm not alone in this. Every athlete faces these moments of doubt. It's what we do with these moments that define us.
I'm committed to learning and growing from these experiences, to using disappointment as fuel to push myself further and become a better player and, most importantly, a stronger person," Fernandez wrote on X.
Tennis is not just about physical strength and technique; it's a mental battle that pushes me to my limits.
Each match, each point, challenges my resilience and determination. And yes, there are days when the mental struggle feels overwhelming when self-doubt creeps in. — leylahfernandez (@leylahfernandez) August 30, 2023
After reaching the 2021 US Open final as an 18-year-old promising player, Fernandez was tipped to do great things in tennis. But since then, Fernandez hasn't really had much success.I'm committed to learning and growing from these experiences, to using disappointment as fuel to push myself further and become a better player and, most importantly, a stronger person.
— leylahfernandez (@leylahfernandez) August 30, 2023
Last year, Fernandez did manage to win a WTA 250 title in Monterrey. Also, Fernandez made the French Open quarterfinal - in which she lost after dealing with a foot injury. This year, Fernandez hasn't made any semifinals or finals on the WTA Tour.
Fernandez has had one semifinal result this year but it came at an ITF event in Madrid in April. It remains to be seen if Fernandez can make at least one big result before the season ends.