Leylah Fernandez shares her first conversation with Russian great Maria Sharapova as she gears up for the Indian Wells

Apart from Emma Raducanu, the last US Open was also iconic because of finalist Leylah Fernandez. The Canadian tennis star had a dream run at the Flushing Meadows and after the US Open, she will again be in action at the BNP Paribas Open.

The youngster made a name for herself at the US Open with her sensational giant-killing spree en route to the finals. She played some of the big names in the women’s game and went on a winning spree. She took out stars like Aryna Sabalenka, Elina Svitolina and Naomi Osaka before playing her maiden Major finals.

The Canadian took a break from the court after the US Open and she was seen doing several off the court activities. Leylah was seen at the Met Gala. There she met former World No. 1 and legendary tennis star Maria Sharapova. Therefore ahead of the Indian Wells tournament, she shared how it was meeting with the Russian star.

Leylah was happy to have a conversation with the Russian great at the event. She also revealed how she got some advice from the five time Grand Slam winner. While she did not share the details, she made sure to share her gratitude for Sharapova.

“I was lucky enough to meet Maria Sharapova at the Met,” Leylah Fernandez recalled in her press conference. “And we kind of chatted a little bit and she gave me some pretty good advice.”

“I don’t want to disclose any of it because it’s very personal to me,” she added. “But I was very lucky to have met her and she is an amazing person.”

The 19-year-old was defeated in straight sets at the finals of the US Open by Emma Raducanu. She revealed that it was a hard defeat for her to swallow. But Maria Sharapova shared her stories of coming back from disappointments throughout her career to motivating the youngster. Leylah Fernandez only had good things to say about the Russian great and she will hope to carry those advice on court at the Indian Wells.

“[Maria] told me her own experience and the way that she was able to bounce back,” Fernandez said. “She’s just a great person, great inspiration to look up to and to just get better every day.”

Leylah Fernandez will start her Indian Wells campaign against Alize Cornet of France in the second round. It will be interesting to see how the Canadian youngster performs after a sensational US Open campaign.