FER REAL 

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EMMA RADUCANU’S US Open final opponent asked one lucky fan out on a DATE.

Leylah Fernandez rose to stardom as a teenager with her thrilling run to the final in New York in 2021.

Leylah Fernandez sitting on a couch and talking.
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Leylah Fernandez is inviting fans to slide into her DMs to go on a dateCredit: https://www.instagram.com/leylahannietennis/?hl=en

Leylah Fernandez and Emma Raducanu at the US Open, holding their respective trophies.
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Fernandez lost the 2021 US Open final to Emma RaducanuCredit: Getty
She was eventually beaten by two sets to love by qualifier Raducanu who did not drop a single set all the way through from qualifying to getting her hands on the trophy in incredible scenes.

 

That is because the Canadian, 22, revealed on social media she is hoping to find a partner – and figured the best bet would be to meet up with a fan.

The tennis tour is about to head for its Canadian swing, with Fernandez the home favourite as the world No36 for the WTA 1000 event in

But as well as her bid to win on the court, the lefty is hoping to be successful off it, too.

Fernandez took to Instagram to reveal her plan.

She said in the video: “In Montreal, I would like to go on a date.”

The camera then fuzzes as someone in the background hilariously makes a gagging sound and Fernandez collapses into laughter on the sofa.

She then added: “Hey guys. You know what I really wanna do that I haven’t done is going on a date.

“I’m not a big fan of dating apps so I’m actually going to do things my own way.

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“I’m going to go on one date for one hour in Montreal.

“So if you want to be my date, DM me, let me know about yourself and see you there. See ya!”

Fernandez then captioned the post: “This will be fun, right?

“This isn’t a joke. I fully intend to go on a date in Montreal so go ahead and DM me… time to shoot your shot.

“PS: you may have to meet my dad beforehand (good luck with that).”

While one former US Open finalist is on the lookout for love, another has already found it.

Two-time champion Venus Williams, 45, made a shock return to tennis with her first win for two years this week.

Tennis stars’ new careers

PLENTY of tennis stars have stayed involved in the sport since retiring.

But others pursued very different careers. Here are some of the best…

I reached French Open and Wimbledon finals as a teenager but I quit to become a nun
I won Wimbledon mixed doubles with my sister but got fed up with English weather so now run luxury B&B
I was tipped for stardom aged 12 but retrained to become high-flying lawyer
I earned £9m and won French Open before setting up bistro with Brazilian model girlfriend
I’m last Frenchman to win Roland Garros, now I’m singer with six albums hitting No1 in charts
I’m former world No1 but quit aged 29 – instead I went on to play professional poker and golf
I was destined for the top but swapped lobs for labs as award-winning Harvard physicist

The WTA Tour veteran looked like she’d never been away as she defeated world No35 Peyton Stearns, 22 years her junior, 6-3 6-4 in front of a raucous night session crowd – and fiance Andrea Preti.

In doing so, Williams became the second-oldest woman ever to win a singles match at tour level, only behind Martina Navratilova, who did so at 47 years old.

After her historic triumph, Williams opened up on court about her engagement to actor partner Andrea Preti – and credited him for keeping her going in the sport.

The tennis icon said: “My fiance is here and he really encouraged me to keep playing.

“There were so many times where I just wanted to coast and kind of chill. Do you know how hard it is to play tennis?

“You guys don’t know how much work goes into this, like it’s 9 to 5 except you’re running the whole time.”

Venus Williams and Andrea Preti at a fashion event.
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Venus Williams is engaged to fiance Andrea PretiCredit: Getty