Leylah Fernandez hadn’t even been born in 2001 when terrorists attacked New York, but she hopes to show the same resilience and resolve as New Yorkers after her US Open final loss.
The 19-year-old Canadian’s dream run into her first Grand Slam final ended in defeat Saturday as she fell to British 18-year-old qualifier Emma Raducanu 6-4, 6-3 at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
“It definitely stings,” Fernandez said. “But it will just make me want to work harder and stronger, just come back to every tournament with the same hunger I came into this tournament.”
After cheering support from Big Apple fans throughout an epic run that saw her upset three of the world’s top five players, Fernandez told the crowd on the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks that she hoped to be as strong and resilient as New York has been.