Leylah Fernandez secured her spot in the semi-finals by defeating the no. 5 seed Elina Svitolina with a score of 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(5) on Tuesday.
Fernandez, who just turned 19 on the eve of her match against Svitolina, is making a name for herself in this tournament. Despite being ranked world no. 73 in the WTA rankings, the Canadian managed to knock out two former US Open champions, Naomi Osaka and Angelique Kerber, leading up to her match on Tuesday.
Both Osaka and Svitolina are top-five singles players in the WTA, making Fernandez the youngest player to defeat two such high-ranked opponents since Serena Williams did it in the 1999 US Open.
“I’m honestly overwhelmed with emotions right now. I was extremely nervous throughout the entire match,” Fernandez expressed after her quarter-final victory. “I tried to stick to my coach’s game plan. The New York crowd’s energy gave me the strength to keep pushing forward and never give up.
“Svitolina is an exceptional player. She fought for every point, never backing down. It was an honor to battle against her.”
Although Svitolina’s quest for a US Open title has come to an end, it has been a memorable year for her. She tied the knot with fellow tennis player Gael Monfils in July and also clinched a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics.
