Around Toronto's grounds: Last Canadian standing & the return of the dinosaur superfan
Tennis player Leylah Fernandez discusses her motivation and mental approach while competing as the last Canadian in the National Bank Open. She emphasizes the importance of embracing nerves and pressure to perform at home.
Why it matters
It provides insight into the psychological challenges faced by professional athletes competing under the pressure of home-crowd expectations.
Jimmie48/WTA TORONTO -- Leylah Fernandez always looks back to one quote.
"I love struggling, it makes me feel alive."
The quote is from Olympic gold medalist Alysa Liu about embracing the challenges and the nerves, and that has resonated deeply with Fernandez. (In press, Fernandez had said the quote had come another Olympian Eileen Gu, though wasn't fully sure.)
"I truly took it to heart, and I'm like, 'You know, that's true,' Fernandez said to press Friday. "So many people say, you're not allowed to feel that or you're not allowed to be upset, or you're not allowed to be nervous. You kind of put that down.
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