Leylah Fernandez of Canada kisses the championship trophy after winning a women’s singles championship match against Anna Kalinskaya on the ultimate day of the Mubadala Citi DC Open 2025 at William H.G. FitzGerald Tennis Center on July 27, 2025 in Washington, DC. Scott Taetsch/Getty Images/AFP
Fil-Canadian Leylah Fernandez produced a dominant performance to defeat Russia’s Anna Kalinskaya in straight sets and win the WTA Tour’s DC Open in Washington on Sunday.
The 22-year-old bagged the primary WTA 500 victory of her profession and her first title since 2023 to win 6-1, 6-2 in only over an hour.
READ: Emma Raducanu, Leylah Fernandez reach DC Open semis
The moment Leylah Fernandez won her 4th profession WTA singles title 🤩#MubadalaCitiDCOpen pic.twitter.com/o8IDWkoGOg
— wta (@WTA) July 27, 2025
The win accomplished a fairytale week for Fernandez, the 2021 US Open finalist who had beaten top seed Jessica Pegula and former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina on her technique to the fourth title of her profession.
Fernandez said she had grown in belief throughout her campaign.
“To start with of the tournament (there) was still numerous doubt, but because the tournament progressed, I used to be beginning to play higher,” Fernandez said.
“I even have undergone so many alternative challenges this week. I feel it has just made me stronger in a way, that if I can get through this week — through the cramps, through the long matches, through the warmth and humidity — I can get through anything.”
Fernandez got off to a blistering start, dominating Kalinskaya’s serve to take the opening set in only half-hour.
READ: Leylah Fernandez books first French Open quarterfinal
After three holds left Fernandez 2-1 up, the breakthrough got here within the fourth game with Kalinskaya’s serve looking increasingly vulnerable.
The Russian was soon in trouble at 15-40 down, after which double-faulted handy Fernandez the break and a 3-1 lead.
Fernandez was having no such difficulty on serve and held comfortably for a 4-1 lead before occurring to attack Kalinskaya’s serve within the sixth game.
The Canadian held two break points at 15-40 and duly converted the second for a 5-1 lead, lasering a backhand return to depart Kalinskaya rooted to the spot.
A fragile drop shot at the online gave Fernandez the set in the subsequent game.
READ: Fil-Canadian Leylah Fernandez retains Monterrey title
The second set mirrored the primary, with Fernandez grabbing an early break to seize the initiative at 2-1 before breaking again soon afterwards for a 4-1 lead.
The subsequent two games went with serve but Fernandez made no mistake when serving for the match, converting the second of two match points.
Fernandez will head to Canada for this week’s WTA 1000 Canadian Open in Montreal, where she is anticipating a tougher test.
“Montreal is an entire different monster,” she said. “It’s a much bigger draw, longer tournament. It’s going to be start from zero.”