Canada is known for many things. From hockey games and curling bonspiels to poutine and maple syrup, the country boasts eclectic interests.
Add tennis to the growing list of Canadian success stories. With Leylah Fernandez and Felix Auger-Aliassime advancing to the 2021 US Open semifinals, the first Grand Slam semis of their careers, the support and enthusiasm from Canada is raucous.
Scroll through social media during Fernandez or Auger-Aliassime’s quarterfinal matches and the energy is palpable. Fans are interacting with each other, watching the matches, cheering with every fantastic shot Fernandez hits and each big serve from Auger-Aliassime. In a country known for its winter sports, Canadians are playing and supporting tennis—and following the players who are succeeding on the sport’s biggest stage.
When Fernandez won her thrilling three-set match against No. 5 seed Elina Svitolina. 6-3, 3-6, 7-6, the Canadian experienced overwhelming support from the New York crowd, with the cheers echoed throughout Canada and all over social media.
The tweets came pouring in, starting with fellow Canadian tennis players Milos Raonic, Vasek Pospisil and Gabi Dabrowski. Raonic has been tweeting his congratulations after every one of Fernandez’s matches, a sign of encouragement from one of the Canadian veterans in the sport.
Athletes in different sports also congratulated Fernandez, most notably five-time NBA champion Magic Johnson.
Canadian Steve Nash, a Hall of Fame point guard and the current head coach of the Brooklyn Nets, used a basketball term to describe Fernandez.
Fellow tennis players on the WTA Tour—like 2017 US Open champion Sloane Stephens—and notable tennis coaches, like Patrick Mouratoglou also chimed in. Canadian Olympic bronze medalist Evan Dunfee, too.
All of these figures, across different sports, tweeted about Fernandez.
Even political leaders, like Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, watched the match and cheered on the 19-year-old:
Fernandez appreciates the support she’s receiving on social media and from the tennis world. On Monday -- her 19th birthday -- the Canadian met former US Open champions Billie Jean King and Juan Martin del Potro. King offered some parting advice for the Canadian.
“She told me to go out on court, have fun, and keep going for my shots,” Fernandez said following her quarterfinals victory. “I just did that today. So that obviously worked. And then with Juan Martin del Potro, just by pure luck bumping into him. We just had a nice little chat. He wished me luck and we took a picture, just went our merry way.
“It was awesome to see them, to meet them. They honestly inspired me to do well today.”
Beyond the athletes, world leaders and celebrities, the more integral messages came from ordinary Canadians—not just in the big cities, but across the country, from coast to coast. A quick scan of social media reveals that a large portion of the population is being swept up in the incredible runs of these two remarkable North Stars.
Terri Grace-Oliver of Georgetown, Ontario, played tennis as a kid and fell in love with the sport. As a 5-year-old, she had a poster of Björn Borg on the wall. As an adult, she's happy to have these elite Canadian players to support.
Catherine Benny, an artist from Montreal, was sitting in her living room, beaming with pride, watching Fernandez and Auger-Aliassime win.
Denise Regier Fode, from Bow Island, Alberta, never misses the US Open, her favorite tennis tournament of the year. Her favorite moment was watching Fernandez coming back to beat 2016 US Open champion Angelique Kerber in the fourth round in three sets, 4-6, 7-6, 6-2.
Nathan Hayhoe of Mississauga, Ontario, while working from home, managed to set up a second computer screen to take in Fernandez’s match, before turning on the TV once he completed his work. The whole time, Hayhoe shouted, cheered and jumped out of his seat, in awe of what he witnessed from the 19-year-old.
Gustavo Berdugo, a website designer and video editor in Montreal, cried tears of joy when Fernandez won her match against Svitolina. Debbie Laurie in Port-Cartier, Quebec City, rings her Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics bell after every Canadian victory.
Even Elberto Acosta, a Filipino-American based in Atlanta, felt pride for Fernandez, given her mother’s Filipino origins and the Philippines’ passion for tennis.
For many Canadians, there is an immense feeling of pride and inspiration watching players from their own country reach new heights in tennis.
“Any young kid who aspires to play tennis and reach the professional stage just got their confirmation from Leylah’s win today that anything is possible,” said Brianne Amira, a Vancouver resident. “You don’t just have to dream it. You can do it.”
Auger-Aliassime felt the love from Canada.
“I never thought a day like this would come,” Auger-Aliassime said. “Both a little girl and a little boy from Montreal, both at the same time in the semifinals of the US Open. It's special. It's special. It's special for us. I hope the people back home appreciate the moment also. We do a lot.”
When asked why the Canadians are doing so well at tennis, Fernandez praised the 'maple syrup.' But in reality, this is years of steady growth to get to this point. In 2014, Eugenie Bouchard made the Wimbledon final. Raonic followed it up in 2016 with a Wimbledon final appearance of his own. Then, Bianca Andreescu, at 19 years old, won the 2019 US Open--the first Canadian, man or woman, to win a singles Grand Slam.
Add in Denis Shapovalov, Auger-Aliassime, Fernandez and Dabrowski (doubles) and you have the beginning of a dominant era for Canadian tennis.
Canadians are paying attention to tennis and are showing their support for the players. Days like Tuesday, where Fernandez and Auger-Aliassime make Grand Slam semifinals, will become normal occurrences, given Canada’s growing influence in the sport.
