Leylah Fernandez heartbroken as she sends emotional message to victims of 'horrific' Lapu Lapu Day attack in Vancouver

Leylah Fernandez recently turned emotional as she sent a message of support to the victims of the Lapu Lapu Day attack in Vancouver. The attack took place on Satuday, April 26, and claimed the lives of eleven people.

Lapu Lapu Day has become an annual street festival in Vancouver and is celebrated by Filipino Canadians. The festival is named after a Filipino resistance fighter, chief Lapulapu, who along with his men in 1521, took to the battlefield and defeated Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan. This year's festival saw an array of cultural activities, a basketball tournament, a street parade, and a musical concert headlined by Black Eyed Peas.

Shockingly though, this year's Lapu Lapu Day festivities were marred after a man drove an SUV right into the crowd of celebrating people, leading to the death of eleven individuals. Leylah Fernandez, the 2021 US Open runner-up, who has Filipino Canadian roots herself, was heartbroken by the tragic incident. On Monday, April 28, the 22-year-old took to Instagram and wrote:

"I am absolutely devastated to hear about the death of fellow Canadian-Filippinos at the Lapu Lapu Day in Vancouver this weekend. My thoughts go to the victims of this horrific incident, their families and the community"

Fernandez's post also featured a video, in which she echoes the words from her written message.

Back in 2021, shortly after sealing her place in the final of the US Open women's singles final, Fernandez had spoken up about the support she received from Filipino tennis fans during her run to the last hurdle of the prestigious hardcourt Major.

Leylah Fernandez expressed her happiness at being roared on by Filipino fans in US Open 2021 run

Leylah Fernandez in action at the 2021 US Open (Source: Getty)

At the 2021 US Open, Leylah Fernandez emerged as one of the surprise packages, and incredibly reached the women's singles final, where she faced another fellow teenager at the time, Emma Raducanu. After her semifinal win over Aryna Sabalenka, she appreciated Filipino tennis fans' support for her and also expressed a desire to know more about Filipino culture.

"I’m so, so happy to hear that everyone in the Philippines is cheering for me and supporting me. Hopefully when I get back to Canada and visit him (Fernandez's grandfather), he’s going to make a really nice dish for the whole family, especially a Filipino dish because I do miss it. I just can’t wait to learn more about the culture in the future," Fernandez said.

Unfortunately for the Canadian though, she lost to Raducanu in the final. Fernandez's most recent outing came at the 2025 Madrid Open, where she was the No. 25 seed in the women's singles main draw. However, she was ousted from the WTA 1000 event in the second round by unseeded Ann Li from the USA.