Leylah Annie Fernandez of Montreal, Quebec has won the 2025 Japan Women’s Open in Osaka, Japan on Sunday (Saturday in Canada). Fernandez defeated Tereza Valentova of the Czech Republic 6-0, 5-7, 6-3.
Fernandez, who was the fourth seed, had the advantage in the service statistics. She had three aces, two double faults, and won 68% of the points on her first serve. Valentova had zero aces, four double faults, and won 51% of the points on her first serve. Fernandez also broke Valentova seven times in 16 opportunities.
In an interesting statistic, Fernandez did not beat a seeded player throughout the entire tournament. She beat Hailey Baptiste of the United States 6-2, 7-5 in the first round, Dalma Galfi of Hungary 6-1, 6-4 in the second round, Rebecca Sramkova of Slovakia 7-6, 6-3 in the quarterfinals and Solana Cirstea of Romania 6-1, 2-6, 6-4 in the semifinals.
This was Fernandez’s fifth career title and second in 2025. She previously beat Anna Kalinskaya of Russia 6-1, 6-2 in the Washington Open final. Fernandez’s first two WTA titles were at the Monterrey Open in Mexico. In 2021, she beat Viktorija Golubic of Switzerland in the final, 6-1, 6-4. Then in 2022, Fernandez beat Camila Osorio of Colombia in the final, 6-7, 6-4, 7-6. Fernandez’s other WTA title came at the 2023 Hong Kong Open where she beat Katerina Siniakova of the Czech Republic in the final, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4.
Fernandez is one of two Canadians to win a WTA singles event in 2025. The other is Viktoria Mboko of Burlington, Ontario, who won the 2025 National Bank Open in Montreal, Quebec in August. In the final in Montreal, Mboko upset four-time grand slam champion Naomi Osaka of Japan, 2-6, 6-4, 6-1. Osaka was the first seed at the 2025 Japan Women’s Open but withdrew from her third round match against Jaqueline Cristian of Romania because of a thigh injury.
