Leylah Fernandez Shocks WTA Tour With Singapore Open Win

The Canadian beat unseeded Australian Talia Gibson 7-5, 6-0 in Sunday’s Singapore Open final, closing out the match in 1 hour and 38 minutes. She claimed the sixth WTA title of her career and her first since last October’s Japan Open.

Fernandez Defeats Gibson in Singapore Final

Leylah Fernandez defeated Talia Gibson in straight sets during the Singapore Open final this weekend, marking her first WTA title of the season. In the match, Fernandez came out fast by earning a pair of early breaks against Gibson, but neither one held up as the Australian broke back each time.

The set stayed tight from there, with Gibson eventually serving at 5-4 and holding a set point to take it. Fernandez saved it then broke again to move ahead 6-5, only to be broken herself two games later while serving for the match. Gibson then had two break points of her own to force a tiebreak, but couldn't convert either, and Fernandez finally closed out the first set 7-5.

The match completely shifted in the second set, with Fernandez winning the last nine games in a row and sweeping the deciding set 6-0 as Gibson’s game unraveled entirely. Fernandez served for the match to end it, with Gibson netting a return and finishing the set with a bagel.

How She Got There

Fernandez’s road to the final wasn’t easy, coming into the tournament as the No. 6 seed and beating Kyoka Okamura and Alycia Parks in the first and second rounds, respectively. There, she met No. 1 seed and defending French Open champion Mirra Andreeva, marking the biggest match of her week so far.

In the quarterfinal, Fernandez won 6-2, 7-5, saving two break points early before pulling away. She closed it out in just 1 hour and 32 minutes, with Andreeva racking up 41 unforced errors during the match. This was her second win over Andreeva this season, having also beaten her in Toronto earlier in the summer.

From there, Fernandez survived an even tougher test in the semifinal, rallying from a set down to beat No. 5 seed Maja Chwalinska 1-6, 6-4, 6-2 to reach her first WTA final of the season. “It’s such a great win,” Fernandez said afterward. “I’m just happy that I was able to get through the finish line today.”

Her First WTA Title of the Season

This year’s Singapore Open win marks Fernandez’s first title of the 2026 season and ends an 11-month drought since her last one. It's her second career WTA 500-level title, following her win at the DC Open in July 2025. With this result, she also improved to a career record of 6-3 in the final round of singles events on the WTA Tour.

Fernandez spoke about her up-and-down season after the victory, saying, “Throughout the year, it's been a lot of hard work in finding the right balance between attacking and defending.” She also acknowledged how close things had gotten earlier in the final. “I got a little bit frustrated and overthought too much in those moments,” she said, reflecting on the tense stretch before she pulled away.

Fernandez’s Comments Afterward

After the win, Fernandez made a point of consoling Gibson at the net, and shared a heartfelt thank you with the crowd in her on-court remarks. “I would like to thank all the Singaporean fans and the Pinoy fans who came to watch,” she began.

“Not only my matches, but everybody’s matches. You guys made this week extremely special with all your encouragement, the energy and the positivity that you brought in everyone’s matches. It truly meant a lot. Thank you for coming to watch women's tennis,” said Fernandez.

The win also improved Fernandez’s WTA ranking position by five spots, moving from No. 31 to a new No. 26 on Monday, and returning her to the tour’s top 30 as the Asian swing continues.

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