Who is Leylah Fernandez, the tennis player who never had a boyfriend

Leylah Annie Fernandez, originally from Montreal (2002), is a Canadian tennis player who achieved notoriety through her gritty style and on-court feats. A finalist at the U.S. Open in 2021 (defeated by Emma Raducanu) and winner of four WTA singles titles, she reached a best ranking of No. 13 in 2022.

On the eve of the Montreal Masters 1000 Leylah stunned everyone with a video on Instagram: “I have never dated anyone. If you want to date me, write me in DM”. No dating app, just an original and genuine invitation to her followers.

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Behind all of this would be precisely a cue from her father Jorge: after asking her if she had ever been on a date, the tennis player replied in the negative, and he allegedly advised her to “break the ice” with a video. The post garnered over 100 messages in the first few hours alone, including testimonies of solidarity from other athletes who were in the same situation as her.

A few weeks later, Leylah recounted meeting someone who struck her positively. After sifting through the messages, she chose a young man who was “funny, kind, a real person.” The young man had not seen the video at the time of initial contact, and was also carefully evaluated by her team and family. The outcome? Two dates went well, and “we keep in touch,” he said, leaving open the possibility that this acquaintance could evolve into something more meaningful.