World number 24 Leylah Fernandez, former world number 3 Elina Svitolina, and Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova have all signed up for next year to play in Monterrey, according to Tennis Up To Date.
19-year-old Fernandez won her first WTA title in Monterrey earlier this year after beating Viktorija Golubic in the final. Svitolina, now ranked 15th in the world, won the Monterrey title on her tournament debut in 2020 but did not defend her title this year.
Pavlyuchenkova is also no stranger to success in Monterrey, as she is the four-time champion of the tournament.
Fernandez wants to defend her Monterrey title
Fernandez, who finished second at the US Open recently admitted she’s still struggling to cope with losing in the Flushing Meadows final.
“I still can’t accept this defeat, but I’ve learned what I can teach the world and that I can play against the big guys,” Fernandez told EFE. Hearing that Fernandez was struggling to get through the US Open final was kind of expected as she suggested it would after the US Open final.
“Well, at the moment it has sunk. I am still disappointed. I think I will bear this loss for a very long time. I think it will motivate me to get better in training, better for the next opportunity I get, “Fernandez said in her press after losing the final at the US Open.
“But no, I am very happy with myself, with the way I competed and how I played, the way I behaved on the pitch over the past two weeks.
I have not only improved a lot in tennis, but also emotionally and mentally. “I’m happy. Hopefully next year it will be just as good.” Fernandez said her run was magical, despite falling to win the title.
Leylah only played one tournament after the US Open as she decided to give her a little more rest so she could have a strong off-season.
