Leylah Annie Fernandez ethnicity has been the topic of widespread discussion following her victory in the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) Tour. Moreover, fans are curious to find out where she is from.
Fernandez gave an inspiring performance, turning the game around following a rocky start to her game against Katerina Siniakova in Hong Kong.
Fernandez was born on September 6, 2002, in Montreal, Canada, to parents Jorge and Irene. She is of mixed race and Canadian by nationality.
Leylah Annie Fernandez is a professional tennis player who is ranked world No. 13 by the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA). Moreover, on September 25, 2023, she was ranked at No. 18 in tennis doubles.
Fernandez showed the hallmarks of greatness early on. As a 16-year-old, she reached the Australian Open girls’ singles final, losing to Clara Tauson.
Furthermore, she became the first Canadian female to win a junior Grand Slam title, ever since Eugenie Bouchard, and was ranked the world No. 1 in junior tennis.
In 2021, she became the youngest player to win the Monterrey Open, her first WTA title, without dropping a set during the tournament.
Similarly, in 2022, she defended her Monterrey Open title, winning the title for the second time as a four-time finalist.
Leylah Annie Fernandez Ethnicity: Where Is She From?
Leylah Annie Fernandez ethnicity has been much discussed on the internet. The 21-year-old has an Ecuadorian father, Jorge, while her mother, Irene, is a Filipino Canadian.
Her father, Jorge, was born in Guayaquil, Ecuador. But, when he was four, his family migrated to Montreal, searching for a better life.
Moreover, Jorge got his Canadian citizenship at the age of 14.
Jorge is a former soccer player and a tennis coach. Moreover, he currently coaches his daughters Leylah and Bianca, despite having never played tennis in his career.
The former athlete reportedly draws his experience playing soccer to coach his tennis to his daughter.
Meanwhile, her mother, Irene, is an avid supporter of her daughter. In fact, her mother had to live and work in California for a few years to support the family.
While there is not much information available about her mother, Leylah believes her mother provides a calming presence compared to her father’s more fiery style.
The tennis star often reflects on the difficult times when the family had to live separately. She further expressed her gratitude to her parents for making unimaginable sacrifices.
Similarly, she believes that these sacrifices made her stronger along with her family. Furthermore, she credits her parents for her success and firmly believes that her success is a testament to her parent’s hard work and sacrifices.
Father-Daughter Duo
Jorge has played an instrumental role in helping Leylah achieve success in tennis. Despite not being a tennis player, he has had an enormous impact in building his daughter’s mentality and work ethic.
Jorge never meant for his daughters to become professional tennis players when he bought them the racquets.
However, when his girls took a liking to the sport, Jorge was quick to be there for his daughters.
Moreover, when Jorge and his wife enrolled Leylah in a development program in Montreal, they soon discovered the challenges their daughter would face.
A flawed forehand technique, slow on her fitness test, and her struggles to serve saw her get kicked out of the program. As a result, Jorge’s fatherly love surfaced, prompting him to extend his assistance in coaching his daughter.
However, his training sessions would often leave Leylah in tears, and his fellow coaches judged him for his methods.
Nonetheless, when the Canadian tennis player was asked about her father’s coaching methods, she said, “He just wants me to improve, keep correcting, keep competing.”
Furthermore, the father of three never pretended to know tennis, rather, he’d get the help of professional coaches to help with the technical skills.
Additionally, Jorge believes in autonomy in making decisions and doesn’t interfere with his daughter’s decision-making.
According to Leylah, her father wishes her to be a strong, independent woman who makes her own decisions and learns to live with them despite the consequences.
