Now at the quarter-final stage, this year’s US Open has already been one to remember. The Grand Slam has seen its fair share of upsets and dramatic moments, with eight players now set to vie for a place in the final four.

Leylah Fernandez has been one of the shining lights of the tournament so far. The 19-year-old Canadian has powered into the quarter-finals of the Grand Slam, leaving in her wake opponents significantly higher in the world rankings.

GiveMeSport Women takes a look at Fernandez’s career so far.

Who is Leylah Fernandez?

Born in Montreal, Fernandez has an Ecuadorian father and a Filipino Canadian mother. She enjoyed a successful junior career, reaching the final of the girls’ Australian Open in 2019.

Later that year, Fernandez won the girls’ French Open, becoming the first Canadian female winner of a junior Grand Slam title since Eugenie Bouchard in 2012.

Fernandez also made her professional debut in 2019, first appearing at a Grand Slam at the 2020 Australian Open. She progressed through qualifying to reach the main draw, but was defeated by American Lauren Davis in the first round.

Despite this disappointment at Melbourne Park, Fernandez showed signs of her potential just one week later, when she defeated world number five Belinda Bencic in the Billie Jean King Cup qualifiers.

Leylah Fernandez made her Grand Slam debut at the Australian Open in 2020

In February 2020, the young star reached her first WTA tournament final at the Mexican Open, but fell to Britain’s Heather Watson. A week later, she upset Sloane Stephens of the US to reach the quarterfinals of the Monterrey Open, losing to eventual champion Elina Svitolina.

Fernandez struggled at the start of this year, failing to pick up momentum at her first four tournaments.

Success came in March, however, when the teenager beat Viktorija Golubic in the final of the Monterrey Open to earn her first WTA title. She did not drop a single set throughout the tournament.

Leylah Fernandez’s path to the US Open quarter-finals

Fernandez has not had an easy path to the quarter-finals of the US Open. She came up against Ana Konjuh of Croatia in the opening round, triumphing 7-6, 6-2, before defeating Kaia Kanepi of Estonia 7-5, 7-5.

Waiting in the third round was defending champion Naomi Osaka. Despite the scale of the challenge, Fernandez seemed confident, but lost the first set 7-5. She then turned the match around, winning a crucial tiebreak in the second set and confirming her victory in the third set. The final result was 7-5, 7-6, 6-4.

Another tennis giant came next – three-time Grand Slam champion Angelique Kerber. Fernandez again came back from being a set down, triumphing 4-6, 7-6, 6-2.

Leylah Fernandez defeated Naomi Osaka at the US Open

What’s next for Leylah Fernandez?

Fernandez will play Ukraine’s Svitolina in the US Open quarter-final.

The 26-year-old Svitolina is the world number five, although she is yet to win a Grand Slam title, reaching the semi-final of both Wimbledon and the US Open in 2019. Earlier this summer, Svitolina claimed a bronze medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

After defeating Kerber, Fernandez appeared confident of her place among the best female tennis players in the world.

"I was just glad I was having fun on the court," she said. "I have been working hard since the day I started playing tennis and the day I set my mind to being a professional.

"I expected that one day my tennis game is going to come through and that I'm going to be on the big stage in front of a big crowd and getting the wins."

Leylah Fernandez appeared confident of her place in the US Open quarter-finals