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A day after falling to British teenager Emma Raducanu in last
month's final, Fernandez attended New York's annual Met Gala
where she had a chance to speak with Sharapova.
"She gave me some pretty good advice," Fernandez, 19, told
reporters ahead of her return to competition this week at Indian
Wells for the BNP Paribas Open. "I don't want to disclose any of
it because it's very personal for me.
"She's an amazing person. She told me her own experience and the
way that she was able to bounce back and she's just a great
person, great inspiration to kind of look up to."
Fernandez won the Monterrey Open in March but upped her game
considerably in New York where she beat defending champion Naomi
Osaka, three-times Grand Slam winner Angelique Kerber and world
number two Aryna Sabalenka en route to the final.
Against Raducanu, an 18-year-old qualifier making only her
second Grand Slam appearance, Fernandez struggled with her serve
during a straight sets loss but still showed enough to suggest
she could be a lasting force.
Fernandez has since faced a surge in demand for her time since
the U.S. Open but credits her team for allowing her to stay
focused on tennis.
"I'm very lucky to have a great team around me to just let me
focus on my craft, on my tennis, and not be overwhelmed with
everything that's going right now," said Fernandez.
"Honestly I just can't wait to be back on the tennis court
competing again."
The Canadian has shot up to 28th in the rankings and is the 23rd
seed at Indian Wells, where she will get a first-round bye at an
event widely considered the unofficial fifth Grand Slam.
While Fernandez's U.S. Open run has resulted in a slew of new
off-court obligations, she admits that it has also opened the
door to fun opportunities, including attending the Met Gala.
"That was definitely an experience to get ready, to put on the
makeup, get the hair done, putting on the heels for the very
first time," said Fernandez.
"It was a little hard to walk on at first. The one thing on my
mind going up the stairs in the Met was don't fall down. Just
walk one foot in front of the other."
(Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto; Editing by Toby Davis)
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