“I stalked him to make sure he’s real” – Leylah Fernandez’s dating life gets major update ahead of Cincinnati Open

Leylah Fernandez, the world No. 26 and 2021 US Open finalist, provided a candid update on her dating life ahead of the 2025 Cincinnati Open, revealing she went on a successful first date and humorously admitted to “stalking” her suitor to verify his identity. In an interview with Tennis Channel on August 8, 2025, Fernandez shared, “I had a good time with the guy. He was funny, he is nice… His first message caught my attention, and then afterwards I stalked him to make sure that he’s real. He was a real person, seemed like a nice guy,” per tennis-infinity.com. The 22-year-old Canadian, who sparked headlines with a July 18 Instagram post inviting potential dates in Montreal, confirmed a second date has occurred and they are “keeping in contact,” hinting at a budding romance, per sportskeeda.com.

Fernandez’s public dating call, made before her Citi Open title win in Washington, D.C., drew over 100 responses, including from fellow Olympians, per Tennis.com. She clarified her selection process, noting, “It’s a little hard because a lot of guys who have been messaging me are international, so they were going to fly in. So I was like, I’m not going to do that to them.” The chosen suitor, unaware of her viral video, caught her attention with a unique message, prompting her to research his background for safety, consulting family and team members, per essentiallysports.com. Her father, Jorge, initially a barrier due to his intimidating presence, supported her choice, while sister Bianca helped with outfit selection, per sportskeeda.com.

On the court, Fernandez’s 21-18 season, highlighted by her maiden WTA 500 title at the Citi Open against Anna Kalinskaya (6-1, 6-2), contrasts with a first-round Canadian Open loss to Maya Joint (6-4, 6-1), which she attributed to scheduling issues, per tennis-infinity.com. As she prepares to face Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in Cincinnati’s first round, her off-court joy, shared on X by @TennisChannel (“We’ve been waiting for this!! 😂 dating update from @leylahfernandez”), complements her focus. Fernandez’s lighthearted approach to dating, paired with her tennis resurgence, positions her as a US Open dark horse, with fans on X like @TennisFanatic22 praising her “refreshing honesty.”