Clijsters highlights Fernandez’s tactical shift as Canadian reaches two finals
During the final stretch of the 2026 WTA season, Leylah Fernandez has produced some of the highest-quality tennis of her professional life.
After claiming the Singapore Tennis Open title immediately following the US Open, the Canadian star progressed to two additional finals in Ningbo and Tokyo. This performance places Fernandez at 18th in the WTA rankings, a position five spots below her personal best.
Kim Clijsters, a former world number one and multiple Grand Slam champion, has offered her evaluation of Fernandez, pointing out a specific change she has detected in the 24-year-oldβs recent play.
Kim Clijsters observed that Leylah Fernandez has been positioning herself closer to the baseline as her overall form has improved.
βThe first thing that stands out to me is her competitive mindset. What I admire a lot about her is how feisty she is and how she will compete for every shot. That is one of the reasons why she has been able to be competing, a few years ago, for a Grand Slam title,β said Clijsters during the latest episode of βLove Allβ.
Leylah Fernandezβs post-US Open record (14-4)
| Tournament | Performance | Match wins | Defeat |
| Singapore Tennis Open | Champion | 5 (Kyoka Okamura, Alycia Parks, Mirra Andreeva, Maja Chwalinska, Talia Gibson) | β |
| China Open | Second round | 0 | Kamilla Rakhimova |
| Wuhan Open | Third round | 2 (Ekaterina Alexandrova, Shi Han) | Jelena Ostapenko |
| Ningbo Open | Final | 4 (Elise Mertens, Aliaksandra Sasnovich, Ekaterina Alexandrova, Marie Bouzkova) | Elena Rybakina |
| Japan Open | Final | 3 (Himeno Sakatsume, Elise Mertens, Kamilla Rakhimova) | Diana Shnaider |
Leylah Fernandezβs post-US Open record
βShe has that fighting spirit that, when you drop your game a little bit, she is right there, like a little pit bull that keeps biting your ankle. I think when it comes to her on-court tactics, the way she is able to redirect the ball is something that is hard to play against when you stand across the net from her.
βI think she has moved up into the court. She is standing closer to the baseline, which is a lot easier said than done, because you have to be fast enough and fit enough to be able to do that every shot.β
Clijsters went on to recall an exhibition match she participated in against Fernandez during 2022. In that contest held in Orlando, Florida, Clijsters secured a 7-5 victory over Fernandez.
βThere are a few things that I really like about her. I played her in an exhibition in Florida years ago, after I retired, and I think she misses a little bit of power to really take over a rally,β she said.
βA lot of it is the same pace, and she is so good at that, but to be able to finish off a rally or to be able to hit a serve and then produce more power on the second shot to put her opponent under pressure more, itβs what she misses a little bit. That means that she has to work so hard to win her matches.β
Following a series of strong results at the year’s end, Fernandez has climbed to 18th in the world rankings. Although she was originally slated to compete in a final tournament in Hong Kong, she withdrew from the event earlier this week.
Official WTA Rankings
- 16. Naomi Osaka β 2,315 points
- 17. Alex Eala β 2,289 points
- 18. Leylah Fernandez β 2,201 points
- 19. Belinda Bencic β 2,168 points
- 20. Victoria Mboko β 2,143 points
Leylah Fernandezβs Grand Slam problem
Fernandez captured attention in 2021 by reaching the US Open final, where she fell to Great Britainβs Emma Raducanu. A year later, she reached the quarter-finals of a Grand Slam at Roland Garros, but has found it difficult to replicate that success since.
The Canadian player has failed to advance past the fourth round in any of her last 17 Grand Slam tournaments. Her record includes six first-round losses, seven second-round exits, and four third-round defeats.
Leylah Fernandezβs Grand Slam results since 2022 French Open
- First round defeats β 6
- Second round defeats β 7
- Third round defeats β 4
It remains to be seen whether Fernandez can sustain the momentum generated at the end of 2026 into the 2027 season and the Australian Open to break her troubling Grand Slam pattern. The 2027 Australian Open is scheduled to commence on January 17.
