Leylah Fernandez: "I was a very shy person, I didn't notice when people would bully me"

Leylah Fernandez recently revealed that she was a "shy" child who didn't "notice" when others bullied her.

Fernandez has struggled to adjust on the WTA Tour since her ticket to stardom at the 2021 US Open. She never made it past the semifinals at Majors again, let alone the final. In 2023, she added one title to her collection, which came at the Hong Kong Open after she defeated Katerina Siniakova.

The 21-year-old's season-turning moment came last month when she led Team Canada to Billie Jean King Cup title glory. She and her compatriot Marina Stakusic both won their singles matches against Team Italy, giving their country its first-ever title at the tournament.

Leylah Fernandez is currently undergoing preseason training and, in the meantime, took some time out to speak with CBC Sports. She admitted to being "shy" and bullied as a child and also expressed her embarrassment at bringing traditional foods such as Guatita, fearing what others would think.

"I think, growing up for me, like I was a very shy person. I didn't notice when people would bully me," Fernandez said.

"There were moments where I was sometimes embarrassed to bring my food like, Guatita. It's a traditional food, Peruvian food, South American food, that's extremely hard to make, but it's super delicious and it does look very abnormal. So, that's like one dish where I did feel maybe a little bit shy or scared of what other kids would think," she added.

The Canadian then delivered a powerful message to the world, encouraging everyone to take pride in their roots.

"I was just proud of where I came from, where my parents came from and where my grandparents came from, because I knew that what they wanted us to experience was just happiness, love and just acceptance," Leylah Fernandez said.

"For me, the one thing that I would say, like, be proud of the food that you are going to bring because it's part of your culture. It's part of where you come from, where your parents came from and you know, you kind of bring a part of your home and you're presenting it to the world because you are proud of it," she added.

---

A look into Leylah Fernandez's US Open 2021 run

Leylah Fernandez pictured with her 2021 US Open runner-up trophy alongside champion Emma Raducanu

Leylah Fernandez was an underdog at the 2021 US Open but quickly became a fan favorite thanks to her exploits at the tournament.

The Canadian began her campaign by defeating qualifier Ana Konjuh, then went on to defeat Kaia Kanepi, defending champion Naomi Osaka and three-time Grand Slam champion Angelique Kerber to reach the quarterfinals.

Fernandez then edged past Elina Svitolina and beat Aryna Sabalenka in the semifinals to set up a clash against Emma Raducanu. Fernandez's journey at Flushing Meadows, which began against a qualifier, ended at the hands of a qualifier as well, as Raducanu defeated her in straight sets to lift her maiden Grand Slam trophy.