Leylah Fernandez Shares Wonderful Words on ‘Legend’ Venus Williams

Leylah Fernandez made a strong start to her North American hard court swing, winning her fourth WTA title at the Mubadala Citi DC Open. Barely two days later she played in her home tournament at the Canadian Open but lost in straight sets in the opening round to Maya Joint.

Ahead of her Cincinnati campaign which ended prematurely, the 22-year-old spoke at the press conference about her inspirations—seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams and another seven-time Grand Slam champion, Justine Henin:

Venus is a legend. She is an icon. When I was young and started playing tennis, people would ask me whom I looked up to when I was little. I always said Justine Henin and the Williams sisters. I see many similarities between her family and mine. They paved the way for us.

Hailing from a country with little success in tennis, Henin, alongside Kim Clijsters, was a trailblazer in establishing Belgium as a leading force in women’s tennis. In women’s singles, Henin also clinched Belgium’s only gold medal at the 2004 Athens Olympics.

Venus, along with her younger sister Serena Williams, redefined the sport and paved the way for women of color. Venus is a five-time Olympic medalist, and along with Serena, the legendary duo clinched 14 women’s doubles Grand Slam titles. Venus, who is now 45, is still playing tennis and recently made her appearance in Cincinnati, losing to Fernandez’s upcoming opponent Bouzas Maneiro in straight sets in the opening round.

Venus Williams’ return to the WTA tour

Venus Williams made her long-awaited return to the WTA tour after 16 months, receiving a wildcard at the Washington Open. She had not played an official singles match since the Miami Open last year, missing time due to a surgery to remove uterine fibroids.