Naomi Osaka brings Leylah Fernandez’s NBO run to an end in round of 16

Naomi Osaka stopped a hopeful looking run by Leylah Fernandez at the National Bank Open on Sunday.

The four-time Grand Slam champion from Japan beat the last-standing Canadian singles player at the country’s signature tennis tournament, 6-4, 6-4 in the round of 16.

The 23-year-old from Laval, Que., ranked No. 34 in the world, was building momentum in Toronto, especially with her third-round upset of World No. 5 and reigning French Open champion Mirra Andreeva 6-1, 6-4 on Friday.

Fernandez was the best performer of all the Canadian singles players competing at both the WTA event in Toronto and the ATP tournament in Montreal this week. The Quebecker will jump up a few spots in the WTA rankings from this performance.

She was helping to create some feel-good homegrown headlines at the tournament after reigning Canadian teenager Vicky Mboko was unable to defend her title, sidelined with a knee injury.

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There was reason to believe. The Canadian left-hander had beat Osaka once before – in 2021, during her memorable run to the U.S Open final. Then just 18, the Canadian ended No. 3-seeded Osaka’s title defence under the lights of Arthur Ashe Stadium. It was the biggest win of the young Quebecer’s career to that point.

Osaka had won the only other meeting between the two women before Sunday, in the opening round of the 2025 Wuhan Open. Both matches had been long three-setters.

But the 28-year-old WTA star Osaka outplayed Fernandez on Sunday in Toronto. The World No.13 is having a resurgent season, arguably her best since returning to tennis after she took a maternity leave from late 2022 to early 2024. While having solid results across surfaces in 2026, the former World No.1 hasn’t hoisted a trophy this year yet.

“I didn’t do a good job in keeping the ball in,” said Fernandez. “Naomi, she’s a champion. She’s a tremendous player. She did what she had to do to get the win.”

Osaka could take care of some unfinished business at the Canadian Open. Last August, she made it all the way to the final in Montreal, where she lost to Mboko before a roaring Canadian audience. She said she learned from that atmosphere.

“Today coming out, I was really nervous for some reason. I think it’s because I didn’t know what to expect with the crowd,” said Osaka. “It’s also fun to play against a crowd that’s against you, because you’re kind of like ‘I’m going to show you what I’m capable of’ type of mentality.”

The Canadian crowd didn’t seem to bother Osaka this time. In fact, she got her share of applause from the sold-out audience. The centre crowd court was hopping, as it has been for most evening sessions this week.

Fernandez, whose mother is of Filipino decent, has enjoyed the large support of Toronto’s Filipino diaspora in the stands this week too, especially when playing before trailblazing WTA player Alex Eala of the Philippines.

The rising World No.20 has been the talk of the tournament, as she draws large numbers of Filipino fans to events all across the Tour. Toronto’s community showed up big time. Eala’s fascinating run came to an end later on Sunday night, with a 6-4, 6-0 loss to World No. 14 Belinda Bencic.

While Fernandez was on court Sunday, the crowd was a blend of Canadian and Filipino flags, hats and t-shirts. Several fans held up hand-made signs scrawled with “GO LEYLAH” on one side and “GO ALEX” on the back.

Osaka went up an early break in the first on Sunday, and Fernandez broke right back. The Japanese player was moving the Canadian around the court, showing her experience to take the set. Still, they had lots of long points.

The two women were neck and neck in the second set, until Osaka pulled away. She had an impeccable serving performance, delivering seven aces as she tied up the straight sets win in 90 minutes.

Osaka will meet another top-rated WTA player in Tuesday’s quarter-finals: Elena Rybakina, the World No. 2, a player in a heated chase for the tour’s top ranking.

If Rybakina wins this 1000-level tournament, she would climb within four points of over-taking Aryna Sabalenka for the No. 1 spot. Sabalenka, who has held the top ranking since October, 2024, lost out of Toronto in the Round of 16 on Saturday, to Ekaterina Alexandrova.

Bencic will face Coco Gauff, while the two other quarterfinals feature Iga Swiatek versus Diana Shnaider and Alexandrova against Elina Svitolina.