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Leylah Fernandez Soars in WTA Rankings After DC Open Title

Originally posted on Serve on SI  |  By Pat Benson  |  Last updated Jul 28, 2025 9:08 AM ET

Under a bright sky and sweltering conditions, Leylah Fernandez took on Anna Kalinskaya in the 2025 Mubadala Citi DC Open final on Sunday afternoon.

Undeterred by the heat, Fernandez rolled over Kalinskaya to win her first title of the 2025 WTA season: 6-1, 6-2.

The two unseeded players were not expected to make it as far as they did in the WTA 500 event, and now both are benefiting from their surprise performances in Washington, D.C.

Kalinskaya is now 14-14 and rose 17 spots in the latest WTA Rankings to World No. 31. The 26-year-old is working to reclaim her career-high No. 11 from October 2024.

Meanwhile, Fernandez improved to 21-17 and jumped 12 spots in the latest WTA Rankings to World No. 24. The 22-year-old is working to reclaim her career-high No. 17 from October 2023.

Fernandez will not have much time to recover, as she faces Maya Join the first round of the WTA 1000 Montreal tomorrow, July 29.

Fernandez just defeated Joint in the first round of the DC Open last week in their only meeting on the WTA Tour level.

Follow Sports Illustrated's Serve on SI for all the most important news from the tennis court and beyond.

This article first appeared on Serve on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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