Laval’s Leylah Fernandez cruises to second-round victory at US Open
Posted September 2, 2026 1:34 pm.
Leylah Fernandez is moving on.
The Canadian cruised into the third round of the US Open with a 6-4, 6-1 victory over Thailand’s Mananchaya Sawangkaew on Wednesday in Queens, N.Y.
Fernandez, seeded 31st, fired two aces with just three double faults while being gifted eight points on double faults from Sawangkaew.
She also converted on six of eight break-point opportunities en route to victory.
Fernandez will next face No. 3 Jessica Pegula, who defeated unseeded Sofia Kenin 6-3, 6-1 in an all-American match on Wednesday.
Pegula is 3-1 against Fernandez, including a hard-court win earlier this year in the third round of the Miami Open.
Fellow Canadian Denis Shapovalov is also in action at the final Grand Slam of the season later Wednesday when he takes on unseeded Frenchman Lucas Van Assche in a second-round tilt.
Felix Auger-Aliassime returns to the court for his second-round match Thursday against Russia’s Karen Khachanov, when Fernandez and Ottawa’s Gabriela Dabrowski begin play in women’s doubles.
–With files from The Canadian Press
