Defending champion Leylah Fernandez begins her Mubadala DC Open title defense against Poland's Magda Linette in the Round of 32 on Monday, July 27, 2026, in Washington, D.
C.
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The 23-year-old Canadian enters the WTA 500 event ranked world No. 25, holding a 12-19 singles record in 2026 after early exits at Roland Garros and Wimbledon.
Fernandez has 500 ranking points at stake as she returns to hard courts, where all five of her career WTA titles have been won.
Fernandez Reflects on Challenging Season
Addressing her mindset ahead of the tournament, Fernandez spoke about navigating physical difficulties and a string of losses that tested her confidence earlier in the year.
"This season has been a lot more downs than ups," Fernandez said.
"I'm just happy that I have the right team around me, the right people around me to bring me back down to earth, not think of the worst-possible situation."
"I actually feel a lot better now that I'm back home, started training, took a couple of days off, and just feeling physically ready, mentally prepared."
Reflecting on her early-season health issues, Fernandez acknowledged how setbacks affected her momentum after wins stopped coming.
"That played into the confidence in my game when wins weren't coming in," she said. "I guess there's just a domino effect from the beginning to now.
But again, I've gone through some tough moments in my career and I've always come out on top at the end."
