And I won’t sugar coat it.įirst, sincere thanks to everyone who supported Leylah during the tournament. I’ll tell you how I felt, seeing this tournament from a distance. And if we had to lose, I thought it best to happen against her, a barely 19-year-old qualifier who hasn't missed a set in 10 games. I have no regrets, even though she lost. And I tip my hat to Emma Raducanu because she was the best that day. Why didn't I accompany Bianca on her way to New York after her elimination in Spain? Because I could do my coaching job from home without disturbing Leylah's routine. I didn't want to make a choice between the two and give my preference to one or the other. My youngest daughter Bianca was competing in a tournament in Spain while Leylah was playing her first matches of the Grand Slam tournament. I watched the final on TV at our house, with a friend and cousin, while my wife Irene and our other daughter Bianca were in New York to cheer on Leylah in person. Her comments in the public eye are in line with her whole personality. Leylah is a mature, sensitive young woman who listens to people. And I wasn't surprised to learn that she had this instinct to congratulate New Yorkers. I want her to be independent, to make her decisions in life. I hadn't even watched the trophy ceremony where Leylah found another way to capture the hearts of New Yorkers, standing at that microphone, saying she hoped to match the strength and resilience New York has shown over the 20 years since 9-11. I never tell my daughter what to say. Behind her smile, which charmed so many people during that two week tournament, she suffered. And in New York, Leylah tripped a step from the finish line. You may get used to the joys of winning, but the emotion you feel when you lose is so powerful that you want to do anything to avoid it. I also knew that she would overcome her grief and get back to work as soon as she returned to Florida, to continue her apprenticeship. It is important that I listen to her immediately after a game, so that I know what is affecting her her real thoughts, unfiltered. I knew she had tears in her eyes, I could hear it in her voice.
She was in New York, at Arthur Ashe Stadium, where the crowd had cheered her dazzling performance throughout the tournament.
I was in my living room in Boynton Beach, Fla. As her coach, when I am not at her games, I insist that she speak to me shortly after she plays. I have an agreement with my daughter Leylah. I understand why you hate losing so much." Open finalist, was originally published by Radio-Canada and written by Jean-François Poirier. This interview with Jorge Fernandez, father and trainer of Leylah Annie Fernandez, U.S.
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