Wearing their hearts on their sleeves at Mubadala Citi DC Open, the only combined ATP-WTA 500-level tennis tournament to feature on the tennis calendar, Canadian No. 1 Leylah Fernandez and world No. 8 Alex de Minaur took the leading roles in Sunday showdowns, captivating audiences with their grit and talent.
The WTA No. 36 came out firing to dismiss Anna Kalinskaya 6-1, 6-2 in 70 minutes, earning the biggest title of her career, her first at a WTA 500 venue.
The world No. 48 reached the final without dropping a set, taking down British No. 1 Emma Raducanu in the last four.
The triumph was the cherry on top of the pie for Fernandez, who found title glory for the first time since 2023, courtesy of her spirited, gritty performances across a thrilling campaign on American soil.
In her post-match press conference, the 22-year-old outlined. “I was very happy with the way that I held my nerves. I was very nervous in the beginning, but I got to play my game in the important points and kind of push through those nerves, so I was super happy about that.”
Her relentless fighting spirit, combined with her superb skill set, came to the rescue when in danger, refusing to lose.
Additionally, her mental strength was crucial, as she held her ground, determined to secure the win.
Throughout her campaign at the Rock Creek Tennis Center in Washington, the 2021 US Open runner-up stunned top seed Jessica Pegula in a two-hour, 19-minute second-round thriller.
As she continued to advance, she set a quarterfinal clash with American Taylor Townsend, whom she beat 6-4, 7-6(4) in another two-hour and 20-minute hard-fought encounter.
On Saturday, she took on third seed Elena Rybakina; she didn’t know back then the semifinal contest would turn into a memorable 6-7(2), 7-6(3), 7-6(3) triumph, her longest match of the season, in three hours and 12 minutes, securing her spot in the championship match.
“I have gone through so many different challenges this week,” Fernandez added. “I think it just has made me stronger in a way that if I can get through this week, through the cramps, through the long matches, through the heat, the humidity, I can get through anything.
“So, I was just very happy that I got to not only push myself physically through the limits but also mentally. So that will help me hopefully for future tournaments.”
Strong on serve, sharp on the return, and wise on the backhand, she found the edge she needed to move forward, focusing on her own game to get the better of each of her adversaries.
On the men’s side, seventh seed De Minaur shone bright on Stadium court when facing 12th seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina for the ATP 500 title.
The brave and bold Aussie fended off three championship points before sealing a massive 5-7, 6-1, 7-6(3) comeback win, capturing his 10th title on tour.
Showcasing great confidence all week, De Minaur felt comfortable playing at the Rock Creek Tennis Center. In blistering form, he displayed his trademark speed and superb court coverage, while easily generating power with his forehand.
“It’s something about this court. I did it in 2018 against Rublev, and honestly, I just kind of knew I could do it,” he remarked courtside.
Back then, he also went the extra mile, saving four match points against Rublev, but fell short in the final to eventual champion Alexander Zverev.
On Sunday, the 26-year-old conceded the opener but regrouped in a second set he took by storm in just 30 minutes, setting the contest even at one set apiece.
Assessing his final performance, he stressed: “I just backed myself, and I told myself to commit no matter what, and if I lost this match, it was going to be on my terms. Today, it went my way. I’ve had a couple of brutal ones not go my way, so I’m glad this one went my way.”
A dramatic final set seemed to be going the Spanish player’s way, leading 5-2, but when he failed to serve for the match, his opponent pushed an extra gear to force a tiebreaker.
Adolfo Gutierrez’s pupil held his ground at 3-5, and then rallied from 0-30 down to convert the break, narrowing the gap to 4-5.
Following a lengthy 10th game, in which he came back from the brink, saving three set points, they marched into a deciding tiebreak.
The former world No. 6 roared to victory after the three-hour epic clash between two titans on the court, and good friends off the court.
During the trophy ceremony, the Sydney native addressed Davidovich Fokina, devastated in defeat: “You’re way too good not to have one of these [trophies]. It’s coming for sure. You deserved it today. I just got lucky.
“You are a hell of a competitor, a hell of a player. No one on the tour wants to play you. This is not the end, this is only going up for you.”
As a result of what has been an impressive season thus far, the Malaga-born player cracked into the Top 20 for the first time in his career, standing as the new world No. 19 in the Rankings.
Fokina made it to the Delray Beach and Abierto Mexicano Telcel final, achieving the semifinals at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters and Easterbourne Open before playing in Washington.
Next stop, the National Bank Open in Toronto, Canada.