Five things to know about rising star Leylah Fernandez

Heading into her first WTA semifinal, 17-year-old Canadian lefty Leylah Fernandez was of all things, a favorite. Having won three qualifying matches in Melbourne to make her first Grand Slam main draw, and with a February Fed Cup win over world No. 5 Belinda Bencic, Fernandez has been having a breakout 2020.

And the success only continued in Acapulco, where she's again come through qualifying, beating Lizette Cabrera and Varvara Lepchenko in straight sets. In the main draw, she won four more matches without dropping a set, over Nina Stojanovic, No. 8 seed Nao Hibino, Anastasia Potapova and surprise semifinalist wild card RenataZarazu.

Fernandez, the latest in a very long line of Canadian risers, is now up to No. 126 after a 6-4, 6-7 (8), 6-1 loss to Heather Watson.

Here are some things to know about the Montreal native before she makes it big:

1

She's no stranger to winning.

Fernandez has already seen success at both the junior and professional levels. In 2019, she won three ITF women's titles, between singles and doubles, in addition to taking the girls' crown at Roland Garros.

2

She speaks three languages.

Fernandez knows English, Spanish and French, according to the WTA, with a father from Ecuador and a mother from the Philippines.

3

A couple of her hobbies include Rubik's Cubes ...

and ballroom dancing:

4

Two of her favorite bands are Journey and Bon Jovi, Boca Raton magazine reported.

5

She has a 16-year-old sister who also plays competitive tennis.

Like another Canadian player, her name is Bianca.

"She's the hardest player I have to play against," Leylah told the Match Point Canada podcast.

For even the most promising teens, success on the WTA is never a sure thing. But so far in 2020, this Canadian has shown poise and consistency at every level. It should be a joy to watch for what she does next.