Leylah Fernandez Overpowers Anna Kalinskaya to Clinch Citi Open Title
Leylah Fernandez secures the WTA DC Open crown, defeating Anna Kalinskaya in straight sets to capture her first WTA 500 title in two years.
Canadian tennis sensation Leylah Fernandez delivered a dominant display to overcome Russia’s Anna Kalinskaya in straight sets and claim the WTA Tour’s DC Open title in Washington on Sunday, July 27.
Fernandez captured her first WTA 500 tournament win and her first championship in two years, sealing a 6-1, 6-2 victory in just over an hour.
The win over Kalinskaya marked the end of a dream run for Fernandez, the 2021 US Open runner-up, who earlier defeated top seed Jessica Pegula and former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina en route to securing the fourth title of her career.
Fernandez said her confidence grew as the event progressed.
“At the start of the tournament, I still had a lot of uncertainty, but as the matches went on, I began playing better,” Fernandez said.
“I’ve encountered numerous obstacles this week. I think it’s made me mentally stronger, knowing that if I can push through this week — with the cramping, long matches, high temperatures, and humidity — I can handle anything.”
Fernandez opened with authority, controlling Kalinskaya’s serve to secure the first set in only 30 minutes.
After holding serve to lead 2-1, Fernandez capitalized in the fourth game as Kalinskaya’s serve began to falter.
The Russian found herself at 15-40 and handed Fernandez the break with a double fault, giving the Canadian a 3-1 advantage.
Fernandez remained solid on serve, extending her lead to 4-1 before applying more pressure on Kalinskaya’s serve in the sixth game.
At 15-40, Fernandez earned two break points and converted the second with a backhand return winner that left Kalinskaya motionless.
A soft drop shot at the net sealed the opening set for Fernandez in the following game.
The second set unfolded much like the first, with Fernandez earning an early break to go ahead 2-1, then breaking again soon after to stretch her lead to 4-1.
The next two games stayed on serve, but Fernandez finished the match clinically, converting her second match point while serving.
Fernandez will now travel to Canada for the upcoming WTA 1000 Canadian Open in Montreal, where she expects a stiffer test.
“Montreal is an entirely different challenge,” she said. “It’s a larger draw, a longer tournament. Everything starts fresh.”
