Fernandez saves set point, then sweeps Gibson aside to win Singapore title

Canadian Leylah Fernandez beat Australian Talia Gibson 7-5, 6-0 on Sunday to win the Singapore Tennis Open presented by BNP Paribas, her second WTA 500 title after Washington last year. The Canadian, who was only in Singapore because a visa problem cancelled her trip to Brazil, saved a set point and then did not drop another game.

The 24-year-old world No. 31 received a main-draw wild card after her schedule fell apart. She made the most of it with wins over Mirra Andreeva and Maja Chwalinska on her way to the final.

Playing her ninth Tour-level final, Fernandez showed her experience against Gibson. The 22-year-old world No. 63 was contesting the first final of her career, in a year of firsts that included an Indian Wells quarterfinal as a qualifier and a Top 100 debut.

The first set decided the match. Fernandez led 3-1 on a fast court suited to her left-handed game, before her serve began to falter. Gibson, relying on her heavy forehand, drew level at 4-4 with a backhand passing shot down the line and earned a set point at 5-4.

Fernandez stayed brave, playing fast and coming forward. She held for 5-5 and broke on her fourth break point, with her forehand down the line doing the damage. She took the set 7-5 when Gibson missed a forehand on set point.

Okay, you know what, just think of the ball and let my instincts take over.

“When I was facing that set point and those break points, I just kind of said, ‘okay, you know what, just think of the ball and let my instincts take over’,” Fernandez said. “I wasn’t really thinking too much about where I needed to hit it, but just hit the ball and trust that my training is going to pay off, and thankfully it did.”

She opened the second set with a break, thanks to an inside-out forehand winner taken right off the bounce. From there she played at a different speed, and Gibson could not hit through her. Fernandez closed out the match with a sharp backhand angle that forced a forehand error.

The Canadian now holds a 14-7 Tour-level record against players ranked outside the Top 50. After a year with too many lows, especially at the Grand Slams, the 2021 US Open finalist has six career titles, all on hard courts: Osaka and Washington in 2025, Hong Kong in 2023, and Monterrey in 2021 and 2022. She also takes home a trophy made for the first time by State Property, the Singapore-founded fine jewelry brand that has worked with Michelle Obama, Rihanna and Taylor Swift.

“Today, I didn’t play the level of tennis I would have liked to,” Gibson said. “Also, it was a new experience for me, a new occasion, my first WTA final, so there was definitely some nerves there as well that played a part. I hope I can believe that this is the first of more finals to come for me.”