Almost a year ago, Leylah Fernandez reached the final of the United States Open. An unexpected result from the height of his 19 years which changed his life, but also that of his father and trainer, Jorge, taking them away from the financial “nightmare” they have lived for a long time.
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“This result, it gives us a lot more flexibility, explained the latter to the Journal. It improved his ranking, it helps us to choose better tournaments. »
The story of the Fernandez clan has been told many times. The family was not rolling in gold, making it difficult for Leylah to climb to the top of the rankings in this expensive sport.
At one time, Jorge Fernandez skipped meals to make sure his young champion might eat.
“I was satisfied with the lunch of the hotel, he had told last year. Sometimes, when he had a few fries left over for supper, I took them. »
Photo taken from Instagram
The tennis player is seen here in an advertisement for Lululemon clothing.
“The work continues”
Even last year, when the Lavalloise was ranked among the top 80, her father did not attend all of her tournaments. He was also absent at this famous US Open, he who also trains his youngest, Bianca.
Thanks to the $1.6 million his daughter pocketed in New York, Mr. Fernandez now travels full time with her. He was there when she won the title in Monterrey, Mexico in March. The only tournament he missed was Cincinnati three weeks ago.
This result also allowed the young left-handed woman to surround herself with many sponsors. During the present United States Open, she is omnipresent during TV breaks.
She can be seen enjoying a Gatorade drink or even in an advertisement for Subway restaurants. A few months ago, Leylah also changed equipment supplier. She is now dressed by the Canadian company Lululemon.
But despite all the positive that this result has brought to the Fernandez clan, the dad points out that the last few months have been a long learning curve.
“The work continues. More tournaments also means more travel, so less time spent in training,” he noted.
“Another thing that has changed, he continued, is expectations. Those of the public, promoters, sponsors. Before, it was just us. I’ve always said it’s easier to lose than to win. Because when you win, it’s like a wave. But you can quickly find your head under water. »
Photo taken from Instagram
Leylah is now featured in a Gatorade sports drink ad.
Money can’t buy everything
The Fernandezes have also noticed something else: while it offers more latitude in this ultra-competitive world, money doesn’t buy everything.
Because if Leylah continued to climb the ranks of the rankings thanks to good results – she reached in August the 13e rank, its summit — it was not a perfect year either.
There have been quick defeats, like the Australian Open first-round defeat.
And also, this stress fracture in one foot, suffered in the quarter-finals at Roland-Garros, which deprived her of tennis for eight weeks.
Moreover, due to her loss in the second round at the US Open, the 19-year-old player will drop to around 40e world rank next Monday.
“We try to continue to make decisions as if we had no money, pointed out Jorge Fernandez. Instead, we try to find the right solutions, because money is not going to fix everything. »
Photo taken from Instagram
The Subway restaurant chain has also recruited the tennis player from Laval to promote its sandwiches.
His condo in Miami
But still, this scholarship and this attention from the sponsors made their lives easier. She allowed Leylah to buy a condo in Miami, near the airport, where she currently lives with her family.
They previously resided in Boynton Beach. Sometimes the Fernandez clan had to drive an hour and a half through traffic to reach the training grounds or to catch the plane before a tournament.
“I wanted her to build her credit in this way, to take on financial responsibility,” said Mr. Fernandez. But she’s a family girl, so she wanted us all to be together. At least for the moment. Because sometimes I hear her and her sister making plans to live together! »
A year following her final in New York, when she was ranked 73rd in the world and relatively unknown to the general public, Leylah is now one of the players in demand on the WTA.
Is he proud, dad Fernandez, to see the evolution of his daughter? Her eyes fill with tears when asked the question.
“She has changed and I find it very beautiful,” said Jorge Fernandez, suppressing his emotions.
“It’s special and completely crazy what we’re going through. We sail on our little boat through all this world. I’m happy with his results, but for me, that’s not the important thing. It’s really her transformation, from little teenager to young lady. »
A hitting partner rather than a coach
Photo taken from Instagram
Little Leylah in the arms of her father and trainer Jorge Fernandez.
When Leylah Fernandez was young, her father Jorge made her a promise. One day, with him as her coach, she would be in the top 30, or even the top 20, of the WTA.
Today he can say “mission accomplished”. Although her second-round loss in New York last week will see her drop next Monday to around 40e world level, the 19-year-old has long clocked around 15e rank this season.
However, it was not tennis that fascinated Mr. Fernandez, younger. It was soccer, a sport he practiced before becoming a coach.
But, he believes, there are many similarities between the two disciplines. He adds that he learned his tennis skills, going for his WTA certification two years ago.
“I also have resources in Switzerland that help me analyze their opponents,” he explained. I prepare a plan before each match, which I simplify to him in two or three points. Leylah is used to this very precise process. »
Also a physio
Last year, Jorge Fernandez said he was still interested in adding another coach to the team, in order to delegate tasks to him and help his daughter progress even more.
He claims to always search. But he explains that the clan prefers, for the moment, to surround itself with a training partner, which is not always easy to find for a left-handed person.
Also, the stress fracture in the right foot suffered by Leylah at Roland-Garros forced them to seek the services of a physiotherapist, who traveled with them to Toronto, Cincinnati and New York.
Because following eight weeks of inactivity, “she suffered a lot following the matches”, underlined Mr. Fernandez.
And each time he mentions the possibility of bringing another coach to the team, he says he comes up once morest a refusal from his daughter.
“I am someone who is extremely demanding, both towards myself and towards others,” he said. I’m convinced that if you want to be number 1 in the world — and that’s Leylah’s goal — you have no choice but to be like that. »
“It’s not that we don’t have a choice. On the contrary, he added with a smile, who wouldn’t want to coach Leylah? But we have already achieved a lot of what people expected. »
An exclamation point?
After his daughter was sidelined for two months, her dad didn’t expect great results for the hard court return.
He believes that she is always in search of constancy. But he believes that this early exit to New York will allow them to work harder in training.
And, perhaps, to put “an exclamation point on this season”, with good performances in his next two events, in October in San Diego and Guadalajara.
“I think with all the challenges we’ve been through, we can use these two tournaments to make this year an amazing year,” he said.