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

The teenagers won’t stop winning at this year’s guard-changing US Open, as 19-year-old Leylah Fernandez defeated Elina Svitolina 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (5), to advance to her first ever major semifinal. The Canadian turned 19 on Monday, and it’s difficult to think of a better birthday present than a US Open semifinal, not to mention the guaranteed $675,000 she will receive.

Semifinal bound.

Unseeded 19-year-old Leylah Fernandez's dream run continues in New York! pic.twitter.com/5xp0YYXxrB
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 7, 2021

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There’s no easy way to reach the US Open semifinal, but the Canadian has done it the hard way, earning three consecutive three-set victories over Top 20 players. From the third round and onward, Fernandez defeated two US Open champions in Naomi Osaka and Angelique Kerber before defeating 2019 US Open semifinalist Svitolina.

“My dad told me to go out and have fun and fight for every point. Today’s your first quarterfinal, don’t make it your last. Fight for your dream,” Fernandez said in her post-match interview.

If that doesn’t give you goosebumps, nothing will.

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