WATCH: Leylah Fernandez shows off intense soccer skills with open challenge to her fans

Leylah Fernandez has reached out to her fans and offered them an old-school soccer challenge. The 2021 US Open finalist is the daughter of Jorge Fernandez, the Ecuadorian-Canadian tennis coach, and also one-time semi-professional soccer player. Fernandez Sr. played football in Montreal's local leagues in the 1990s.

Leylah grew up in a sports-mad household. She first picked up a tennis racquet at age 5, and she began competing at 10. She also took part in other sports, including track and field, volleyball, and soccer. The 22-year-old has two sisters, the youngest of which, Bianca, is also a tennis player.

Fernandez took to her Instagram account to issue the challenge to her fans - a keep-up competition. In soccer, a "keep-up" game involves juggling a football with both feet without letting the ball touch the ground. Players count how many times they kick the ball. Fernandez suggested a target of 200 kicks for her 352,000 Instagram followers:

"Throwing a challenge: 200 keep-ups, no tricks - just old school control. I'll be working on getting 200. Comment if you can make it and tag me in your videos!"

Leylah Fernandez's Instagram

In the Instagram post, Fernandez attempts to meet her target. She only manages to reach about 140 kicks, but the footage shows her to be a skilled soccer player.

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Leylah Fernandez has made huge strides on the ATP tour at just 22 years of age

BNP Paribas Open - Day 4 - Source: Getty

Leylah Fernandez is ranked No. 27 in the world. She rose to prominence at the 2021 US Open, when as a teenager she beat three top-five players on her way to the final. She beat defending champion Naomi Osaka in the third round, Elina Svitolina in the last eight, and Aryna Sabalenka in the semifinals. She then came up against another emerging teenager, Emma Raducanu, and lost in the final.

Fernandez ended her 2024 season strongly - a semifinal appearance at the Hong Kong Open where she lost to Diana Shnaider. 2025 has proved a little more challenging. She was beaten in straight sets by Coco Gauff in the third round of the Australian Open in January, and reached the quarterfinals in Abu Dhabi. Since then, she's exited early in Dubai and at this week's BNP Paribas Open.

Fernandez's father has faced a fair amount of criticism, with some suggesting that he's too domineering a figure in Leylah's life. In her post-match interview after the 2021 US Open defeat, Fernandez talked about her father's influence on her game (via US Open).

“My dad would tell me all the time there’s no limit to my potential to what I can do. Every day, we just got to keep working hard, we got to keep going for it. Nothing’s impossible. There’s no limit to what I can do.”

Leylah Fernandez is a talented sportswoman. She looks as comfortable with a soccer ball at her feet, as she does with a tennis racket in her hand. She now moves to the Miami Open, where she'll look to challenge herself to go deep in the tournament.