Leylah Fernandez reached the second round of the US Open with a commanding 6-3, 6-2 victory over Zhang Shuai on Sunday, taking just one hour and 15 minutes to dispatch the Chinese player ranked 54th in the world. The 23-year-old from Quebec, seeded 31st, dominated nearly every facet of the match, including four aces to Shuai's zero and winning 77 per cent of points on her first serve.
How dominant was Fernandez's performance?
Fernandez broke Shuai's serve three times in seven opportunities while Shuai managed seven break-point chances but never converted. According to La Presse, Fernandez said after the match, "I'm very happy. She's a tough player and I knew I had to stay focused on the task from the start."
Fernandez expressed her appreciation for the New York crowd, telling spectators she felt treated like family and hoped to deliver a strong performance in the tournament ahead.
Who advances next for Canada?
Denis Shapovalov defeated Serbia's Miomir Kecmanovic 6-4, 4-6, 6-4, 6-1 in the first round, recording 19 aces but also committing 11 double faults. Shapovalov converted six of 14 break-point opportunities to secure the four-set win.
Félix Auger-Aliassime, the tournament's third seed, begins his campaign Monday against Australia's Rinky Hijikata, ranked 85th. Fernandez will face the winner of Monday's match between Thailand's Mananchaya Sawangkaew and Hungary's Panna Udvardy.
Sources
- La Presse: Internationaux des États-Unis — Leylah Annie Fernandez et Denis Shapovalov passent au tour suivant. Published 2026-08-30.
Reported from public sources.