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Throwbacks

The three goals Leylah Fernandez set after losing the 2021 US Open final to Emma Raducanu which she is yet to achieve

Photo by Elsa/Getty Images
Photo by Elsa/Getty Images
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Leylah Fernandez has had four years to achieve the goals she set herself after losing in the 2021 US Open final.

Fernandez was beaten by Emma Raducanu in a surprise US Open final in 2021, which was the first all-teenager final since Serena Williams beat Martina Hingis in the 1999 final.

Since their incredible runs four years ago, Fernandez and Raducanu have often been compared to each other.

Fernandez has won four WTA titles since the 2021 US Open final, but she is still yet to complete any of the three goals she set herself.

Leylah Fernandez appears dejected during the 2021 US Open final against Emma Raducanu.
Photo by Elsa/Getty Images

The three goals Leylah Fernandez set herself ahead of the 2022 season

Fernandez had big expectations on her shoulders heading into the 2022 season, with the then teenager looking to continue in the same form that saw her beat Aryna Sabalenka en route to reaching the US Open final.

The Canadian was not shy to admit she had big ambitions for herself as well, and she told WTA Insider her three goals ahead of the 2022 season.

“I’ve always had those high objectives because my parents said if you don’t set the bar high, then you don’t really believe in yourself,” Fernandez said at the time.

“This season is still the same. I want to achieve top 10, I want to be able to play the WTA Finals at the end of the year. Obviously, I want to win a Grand Slam.”

While Fernandez has produced some impressive results since the 2021 US Open final, she has not been able to fulfil any of these goals.

Perhaps the closest she came to achieving any of these was becoming a top 10 player, as Fernandez was just three places away in 2022.

This was the same year that Fernandez achieved her second-best Grand Slam result after reaching the quarterfinals of the French Open.

Leylah Fernandez’s 2022 GoalsBest Result since the 2021 US Open
Achieve top 10No.13 (August 2022)
Reach the WTA FinalsNot yet achieved
Win a Grand SlamQuarterfinal (Roland Garros 2022)

Has Leylah Fernandez considered how different her career would have been had she won the US Open?

Raducanu has faced many public struggles since winning the US Open, and when Fernandez spoke to Clay earlier this year she was asked if she had considered how different her life would have been had she won the title that day.

Many players would probably shy away from this question, but Fernandez admitted that she has thought about it, but did not want to dwell on it too much.

“There are moments when I think about it, but most of the time, I leave it in the past because I can’t change the outcome,” Fernandez said earlier this year. “If I changed that result, then I would have to change everything else that followed, and suddenly I’m world No. 1. It’s impossible.

“The only thing I can do is accept reality and use feelings of disappointment and frustration as motivation to find positive emotions and keep looking for solutions.”

Who will win the 2026 Australian Open?

Fernandez and Raducanu have not even played each other since that famous US Open final over four years ago, but there is not much between their rankings.

After winning two titles this year, Fernandez ended the season as the world number 22, while Raducanu is seven places below her as the world number 29.