Leylah Fernandez came the closest to becoming a Grand Slam champion at the US Open, but it is not necessarily the major she wants to win the most.
Fernandez reached the US Open final in 2021 in a huge breakthrough run for the Canadian, as she beat the likes of Aryna Sabalenka, Naomi Osaka and Elina Svitolina to reach the final.
Ultimately, Fernandez was beaten by a perhaps even more surprise finalist in Emma Raducanu, who had come all the way through qualifying.
While Fernandez has won five WTA titles since then, she has been unable to return to the final of any Grand Slam tournaments. Despite the US Open being where she found her biggest previous Grand Slam success, it has now been revealed that Fernandez would actually prefer to lift the title at two other majors.
Leylah Fernandez says she has always wanted to win Roland Garros or Wimbledon
In a newly released interview with German outlet Tennis Magazin, which took place during the clay court season earlier this year, Fernandez was asked if her run to the US Open final now makes it her favourite tournament.
Fernandez instead responded by revealing that Roland Garros and Wimbledon are actually the two tournaments she has always wanted to win.
She replied, “I always wanted to win the French Open or Wimbledon. One of the two.”
When asked about why this is, Fernandez revealed her childhood memories from Roland Garros in particular, before highlighting the traditions of Wimbledon.
“The French Open was the first tournament I ever watched on TV,” said Fernandez. “I remember thinking: How beautiful it is to see these two players fighting. Like in a gladiatorial arena. They slip, they fall. Their shoes and clothes are covered in sand. It was so amazing to watch. I thought: One day I want to stand on that stage and win this tournament.”
Fernandez added when asked about Wimbledon, “The grass! The history behind it! The kind of luxury there. You just want to have winning Wimbledon on your CV.”
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What is Leylah Fernandez’s best Grand Slam tournament?
While the US Open may not necessarily be Fernandez’s favourite Grand Slam tournament, it still remains as the major where she has her best record.
However, it is closely followed for Fernandez by Roland Garros, where she has a 59% win-loss record. Fernandez achieved her best result at a Grand Slam tournament since reaching the 2021 US Open final at Roland Garros in 2022, when she made it all the way to the quarter-finals.
Although Fernandez also has goals to win Wimbledon one day, it is the only Grand Slam tournament where she is yet to surpass the second round, and she even suffered a first round loss at the grass court major earlier this year.
| Grand Slam | Win-loss Record | Best result |
| Australian Open | 4-7 (36%) | Third Round (2025) |
| Roland Garros | 10-7 (59%) | Quarter-final (2022) |
| Wimbledon | 3-5 (38%) | Second Round (2023, 2024 & 2025) |
| US Open | 12-7 (63%) | Final (2021) |
It has actually been one of the weaker years for Fernandez in terms of Grand Slam tournaments, having lost in the first round of the Australian Open, Roland Garros and Wimbledon, before reaching the third round of the US Open.
Fernandez has found more recent success on the WTA Tour after winning the Singapore Open, maintaining her position as a top 30 player. Fernandez will look to continue this form into the end of the season, as she competes in Ningbo, Tokyo and Hong Kong.
