Leylah Fernandez was able to take time to cheer for her younger sister Bianca, as the Canadian player assisted the UCLA Bruins in their convincing non-conference victory over the Loyola Marymount University tennis team.
In the rubber, UCLA prevailed 6-1, and Bianca Fernandez triumphed 6-1, 6-4 in her singles match.
Twenty-year-old Bianca is currently rated No 84 in the ITA rankings but is well outside the top 500 on the WTA Tour in the singles division.
At the beginning of the season, she joined the Bruins to get a taste of collegiate tennis.
On Instagram after her sister’s win, Leylah Fernandez could not contain her joy, writing: “Good win for UCLA! And Bianca won!! Don’t mind me, proud sister here.”
Leylah Fernandez and her sister Bianca announced the establishment of the Leylah Annie & Family Foundation at the end of 2022.
The fledgling foundation provides sports grants and scholarships to deserving students in an effort to foster “life-changing opportunities” via education and athletics.
“It’s time to announce the Leylah Annie & Family Foundation! My family and I have been working hard, and we’re so excited to launch this project. We started this foundation because we believe access to character-building and life-changing opportunities through education and sports should never be limited,” she said.
When Fernandez last competed on the WTA Tour, it was at the Dubai Tennis Championships, where she lost to Jasmine Paolini in the second round. She had also advanced to the Qatar Open semifinals before falling to Elena Rybakina, the eventual runner-up.
While she has suffered losses, in both cases the player that beat her has gone on to reach the championship match.
The former runner-up at the US Open will next compete as the eighth seed at the WTA 500 San Diego Open.
In her first match, she is slated to compete against Tatjana Maria.
In the quarter-finals, Emma Navarro, the third seed, could be lying in wait for Fernandez.
Fernandez recently picked up a new sponsor as she continues making waves on the WTA Tour.,
The Canadian is SAP’s newest brand ambassador.
“I am honored to join forces with SAP, a company that shares my passion for excellence and creating social impact worldwide,” Fernandez shared.
“I am excited to work with a company that has supported the WTA for over a decade and continues to invest in the promotion and advancement of women’s tennis. Together with SAP, I hope to inspire the next generation of athletes and young girls around the world.”
