The ITF's Katrina Adams stays on the front lines for women with the Tory Burch Foundation Sports Fellowship

Leylah Fernandez has already shown the world what she can do at majors—she’s 10-7 at that level, her best result being her electric run to the US Open final last month.

On Friday night she hit another milestone, scoring her first career win at the WTA 1000 level with a 6-2, 6-3 victory over Alize Cornet in her career debut at Indian Wells.

The No. 23-seeded Fernandez hit 24 winners to 16 unforced errors and converted five of nine break points to beat the former No. 11 in an hour and 24 minutes.

Asked afterwards how the 27-day gap since the US Open final affected her coming into Indian Wells, Fernandez sent a signal that she isn’t expecting any letdowns.

“I trained very hard after that final,” she said.

Indian Wells is the fifth WTA 1000 event the 19-year-old Fernandez has played so far in her career. She fell first round at the first four she contested: Toronto in 2019, Cincinnati (in New York) in 2020 and Montreal and Cincinnati this year.

Up next for the No. 28-ranked Canadian: No. 13-ranked Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.

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These girls have got WHEELS. 🏎 💨@leylahfernandez l @alizecornet pic.twitter.com/vs6UoqIJX7
— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) October 9, 2021

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Stat of the Day: Leylah Fernandez scores first win at a WTA 1000 at Indian Wells

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