WASHINGTON — Saturday afternoon’s women’s singles semifinals at the Mubadala Citi DC Open featured some new faces for fans to enjoy in Washington.
Three of this year’s four semifinalists had never reached this stage in the nation’s capital, the lone exception being Anna Kalinskaya, who made the semifinals in 2019 as a qualifier.
In Sunday afternoon’s final, fans will see two players vying for the first career WTA 500 singles title in 36th-ranked Leylah Fernandez of Canada and 48th-ranked Kalinskaya of Russia.
Both are playing some of their best tennis of the season and will look to elevate that to a new level on Sunday in just their second head-to-head meeting. The 22-year-old Fernandez outlasted the third overall seed and 12th-ranked Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan, 6-7 (2), 7-6 (3), 7-6 (3), in a three-hour and 12-minute marathon match.
Kalinskaya took down 2021 U.S. Open champion Emma Raducanu in straight sets, 6-3, 6-4, in 94 minutes. The 26-year-old has now defeated three straight top 50 opponents en route to the final and has yet to drop a set in the tournament. Her victory also denied the first rematch between Fernandez and Raducanu since their surprising matchup in the 2021 U.S. Open final as teenagers.
Kalinskaya defeated Poland’s Magda Linette (ranked 28th) in the Round of 16 and Denmark’s Clara Tauson (19th) in the quarterfinals. Her win over Tauson avenged a second-round loss at Wimbledon merely a few weeks ago.
For Kalinskaya, this tournament in Washington has been a significant breakthrough, particularly at a 500-level event. Her previous best result of the season was the Singapore Open, a 250-level hard-court event in January. After being eliminated in the early stages of both the French Open and Wimbledon, she’s aptly responded in Washington and Sunday’s final will be her first on hard court since Dubai in February 2024.
Meanwhile, Fernandez entered Saturday’s semifinal having grinded through her first three matches in nearly six hours of court time, highlighted by a Round of 16 three-set win over top seed and world No. 4 Jessica Pegula. Fernandez needed to dig even deeper in Saturday’s semifinal as she battled back from 1-3, 0-40 down in the second set on her serve and broke the 2022 Wimbledon champion to even the score at 5-5 before winning the tiebreak.
Throughout Saturday’s match, Fernandez, 22, reminded herself of the message written on her water bottle during each changeover: “Hard work, fight.” They have been the defining pillars of the young Canadian’s tennis career and everyday life as her dad and coach, Jorge Fernandez, consistently reminds her of the value of positivity.
Summoning the words on her water bottle 💯 https://t.co/DYoi6UtkNy pic.twitter.com/bqaitNHkDO
— Mubadala Citi DC Open (@mubadalacitidc) July 26, 2025
After reaching the 2021 U.S. Open final as a 19-year-old, a match she lost to then-18-year-old Raducanu in straight sets, Leylah Fernandez hasn’t been able to replicate that same level of success. While there were certainly tough moments along the way, Fernandez credited the people who have stayed with her, including her dad and other coaches, namely Francisco Sanchez.
After the match, she jumped into the box to share a moment with her dad and appreciate those who have supported her throughout that journey. After a second-round exit at Wimbledon, Fernandez went to Spain for a few days, which proved to be a valuable reset.
While there, she trained with Sanchez, who was there on a family vacation. That helped rejuvenate her, and the benefits of that reconnection are evident in Washington.
“My dad, he was the one that told me not to stop, don’t stop believing. Keep working hard, keep fighting,” Fernandez said. “You know, I think there was also a moment where both of us, where we were really, I think, really thinking about either taking a break or maybe a step back so that we can regroup, refocus, and find the love of the game again. You know, in those times, we got a little bit of help from past coaches that have helped me.”
“After Wimbledon, I would say, like, we were thinking about not playing Washington, but again, I love tennis, I love competing so much, that it was, like, there’s no way I’m going to miss out on this beautiful tournament. We just went back to training, and we just started from basics.”
Have a news tip? Contact Jacob Steinberg at jsteinberg@baltsun.com, 443-442-9445 and x.com/jacobstein23.
