Fernandez returns to the court following foot injury

TORONTO — A lingering foot injury that kept Canada's Leylah Fernandez out of action for over two months was also an opportunity for her to learn about herself.

Now Fernandez knows just how impatient she can be.

"I thought I was going to be extremely patient and that I was going to be able to take that time off and accept it," Fernandez said of the injury suffered on May 31 in a French Open quarterfinal against Italy's Martina Trevisan.

"But in reality I was just antsy. I was taking my racket and trying to wobble my way to the tennis court."

Fernandez, from Laval, Que., is one of five Canadian women in the National Bank Open's singles tournament that starts on Monday at Toronto's Sobeys Stadium. The 19-year-old was only cleared to play in the tournament last Thursday and is one of several players hoping for an impactful return to play at the WTA event.

"When I did get the green light from my doctor, that was the best hour and a half of news that I could ever ask for," the 13th-seeded Fernandez said on Saturday. "It's just been a roller coaster and I'm excited to be back and happy to be able to compete."

Bianca Andreescu, from nearby Mississauga, Ont., is also looking for a return of sorts. She won the event in 2019 — when it was still called the Rogers Cup — and then earned her first Grand Slam title, winning the U.S. Open for her best season ever. The victories, which both came off of all-time great Serena Williams, propelled Andreescu up to world No. 4.

However, within a few months of that high she had to take a 15-month layoff due to an injured left knee. She then had a bout of COVID-19 in 2021 and needed to take a "mental break" from tennis late last year.

Most recently, Andreescu has had issues with her back but she