The 2021 US Open runner-up was forced to retire at Roland Garros after she had incurred a foot injury while playing at the French Open.
That Roland Garros foot injury turned out to be a stress fracture that had sidelined her from appearing at Wimbledon and had delayed her comeback in the recent weeks. She not only missed Wimbledon but the events at Atlanta and Washington as well.
The Canadian, however, appeared at the draw ceremony for the Toronto tournament, confirming her participation.
'’We’ve been trying extremely hard to get back into shape,” she said. “But we still needed the doctor’s opinion saying I’m good to go.”
She also says that her injury is “100 percent healed” and she has received the green light to compete again.
She is returning to active play just weeks before the US Open where she was last year’s runner-up to Emma Raducanu. She said that she had underestimated the injury and even reached the quarterfinals of the French Grand Slam but also likely prolonged her recovery time.
She had described missing the entire grass court season as “heartbreaking”.
At the National Bank Open, she will play in the opening round against a qualifier.
If all goes well, World No.14 Fernandez may be in line to play against Iga Swiatek in the third round. Swiatek is the current World No.1.
At the US Open, she is expected to have at least been a No.16-seed. This should ensure that she will not play anyone in the Top 10 until at least the fourth round.