‘Boxer’ Leylah Fernandez praised for BJK Cup heroics as Canadian tennis finds another star in Marina Stakusic
Leylah Fernandez went undefeated to help Canada to their maiden Billie Jean King Cup title, but the Great White North also unearthed another star in Marina Stakusic during their title run in Spain.
The Canada line-up featured veterans Eugene Bouchard, Rebecca Marino and Gabriela Dabrowski for the weeklong tournament in Sevilla while Fernandez has a wealth of experience despite being just 21 years old.
Incredibly, Canada won 10 of the 11 matches they played at the Billie Jean King Cup Finals last week while the also dominated in terms of sets as they were 22–4.
And it was 2021 US Open runner-up Fernandez who led the way as she won all four her singles matches and one crucial doubles encounter alongside Dabrowski against the Czech Republic in the semi-final.
In fact, you have to go back to 2022 for the last time Fernandez lost in the tournament as she also won two singles ties and a doubles encounter at the qualifiers in April this year.
Team Canada coach and 2008 Wimbledon runner-up Nathalie Tauziat was impressed with and used a unique analogy to describe Fernandez saying: “Leylah played her role as leader and that made all the difference.
“She prepares like a boxer, ready to enter the ring, to receive blows and to give them.”
Check those trophies out! ✨
The moment the Canadian team got their World Champions trophies from their locker 🏆#BJKCupFinals | @TennisCanada pic.twitter.com/diMIiUcUeJ
— Billie Jean King Cup (@BJKCup) November 12, 2023
As with all team sports, every player contributed to the title run as Dabrowski was 3-0 in the doubles and Bouchard 2-0.
But praise surely needs to go to captain Heidi El Tabakh, not just for leading her nation to a first-ever Billie Jean King Cup trophy, but for the incredible faith she showed in 18-year-old Stakusic.
The teenager sits at No 261 in the latest WTA Rankings yet she was 3-1 at the Billie Jean King Cup.
She beat the likes of Rebeka Masarova, Magdalena Fręch and Martina Trevisan – all players ranked much higher than her 261 – to provide brilliant support for Fernandez and the doubles teams.
“It’s fair to say that a champion is born this week,” El Tabakh told billiejeankingcup.com. “She exceeded everyone’s expectations. But with that said, I’m very, very, very proud of her and the way she showed up for the team.
“I’m so incredibly proud and it’s been a pleasure sharing the court with them all week. Everyone who is here currently has been a huge asset to the Canadian team throughout the years. We wouldn’t be here without every single one of them.”
What makes Stakusic performances in Seville even more impressive is the fact that she hasn’t played Grand Slam tennis yet. Her only two WTA-level matches came at the 2022 WTA 250 Championnats Banque Nationale de Granby where she went through qualifying before reaching the second round.
“It’s definitely not what I imagined would happen coming here,” Stakusic said after her heroics.
“As the week went on and just training with these girls all of the time, I knew that we were gaining confidence and we really believed in ourselves. It ended up paying off in the end. It’s been an incredible week and I’m super happy I got to spend it with these women.”
Like 2014 Wimbledon runner-up Bouchard, 2019 US Open winner Bianca Andreescu and Fernandez, Stakusic appears to be the latest standout player that Canadian tennis has unearthed.
READ MORE: Leylah Fernandez leads Canada to historic Billie Jean King Cup triumph
