Leylah Fernandez of Canada kisses the championship trophy after successful a girls’s singles championship match in opposition to Anna Kalinskaya on the ultimate day of the Mubadala Citi DC Open 2025 at William H.G. FitzGerald Tennis Heart on July 27, 2025 in Washington, DC. Scott Taetsch/Getty Photographs/AFP
Fil-Canadian Leylah Fernandez produced a dominant efficiency to defeat Russia’s Anna Kalinskaya in straight units and win the WTA Tour’s DC Open in Washington on Sunday.
The 22-year-old bagged the primary WTA 500 victory of her profession and her first title since 2023 to win 6-1, 6-2 in simply over an hour.
READ: Emma Raducanu, Leylah Fernandez attain DC Open semis
The second Leylah Fernandez received her 4th profession WTA singles title 🤩#MubadalaCitiDCOpen pic.twitter.com/o8IDWkoGOg
— wta (@WTA) July 27, 2025
The win accomplished a fairytale week for Fernandez, the 2021 US Open finalist who had crushed high seed Jessica Pegula and former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina on her technique to the fourth title of her profession.
Fernandez stated she had grown in perception all through her marketing campaign.
“At first of the match (there) was nonetheless loads of doubt, however because the match progressed, I used to be beginning to play higher,” Fernandez stated.
“I’ve gone by way of so many alternative challenges this week. I feel it has simply made me stronger in a manner, that if I can get by way of this week — by way of the cramps, by way of the lengthy matches, by way of the warmth and humidity — I can get by way of something.”
Fernandez acquired off to a blistering begin, dominating Kalinskaya’s serve to take the opening set in simply half-hour.
READ: Leylah Fernandez books first French Open quarterfinal
After three holds left Fernandez 2-1 up, the breakthrough got here within the fourth sport with Kalinskaya’s serve wanting more and more weak.
The Russian was quickly in bother at 15-40 down, after which double-faulted handy Fernandez the break and a 3-1 lead.
Fernandez was having no such issue on serve and held comfortably for a 4-1 lead earlier than happening to assault Kalinskaya’s serve within the sixth sport.
The Canadian held two break factors at 15-40 and duly transformed the second for a 5-1 lead, lasering a backhand return to go away Kalinskaya rooted to the spot.
A fragile drop shot on the web gave Fernandez the set within the subsequent sport.
READ: Fil-Canadian Leylah Fernandez retains Monterrey title
The second set mirrored the primary, with Fernandez grabbing an early break to grab the initiative at 2-1 earlier than breaking once more quickly afterwards for a 4-1 lead.
The subsequent two video games went with serve however Fernandez made no mistake when serving for the match, changing the second of two match factors.
Fernandez will head to Canada for this week’s WTA 1000 Canadian Open in Montreal, the place she is anticipating a harder take a look at.
“Montreal is an entire totally different monster,” she stated. “It’s a much bigger draw, longer match. It’s going to be begin from zero.”
