"Hopefully soon, the wins are gonna come."
Fernandez noted that her boyfriend, Canadian Paralympic para hockey player Vincent Boily, also helps keep her focused off the court, fondly recalling their first meeting after a match loss last year.
"Very unfortunate that he saw one of my worst matches," Fernandez said.
"But it was kind of funny because a couple of days later, he messaged and was like, 'Hey, before you leave I'd love to see you for a coffee or something.'"
"He seemed like a very interesting person, and from that breakfast that we had till now we've always kept in contact.
He's a very sweet guy, he's funny. He makes me laugh and also puts things into perspective for myself and my results so far."
Optimism Ahead of Opener
Arriving at the venue, Fernandez expressed optimism about returning to the courts where she captured the title last summer.
"I'm feeling good, excited. Happy to be back in DC.
There are so many good memories, and hopefully I can continue with some good vibes here and enjoy my time on court," Fernandez said.
"I definitely think back on those memories, on those feelings, the positive feelings, the fight, the energy that the crowd brought."
"I try to use that to my advantage and try to go back into that state, and hopefully I can reproduce that here."
Looking back at her path to the championship 12 months ago, Fernandez highlighted mental composure as her key asset.
"The biggest thing that worked for me was just a lot of acceptance and enjoying my time on court.
If I go out there with the right attitude, it goes well. So hopefully I can do that and recreate that this year."
Fernandez holds a 2-1 head-to-head record against Linette, though Monday's opener marks their first meeting on a hard court surface.
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Following her appearance in Washington, Fernandez is scheduled to compete at the National Bank Open running Aug. 1–13 in Toronto.
