Fernandez found her passion for tennis in Puerto Rico, but her trajectory really began to blossom when she played college tennis at Clemson University. When asked if it was strategy or part of a grand plan to go the scholastic route, she explained, “I had no idea about anything when I was 18.”
“I grew up on an island in Puerto Rico, I didn’t even know what pro tennis was,” Fernandez continued. “I played a full year at Clemson, and it was the first time in my life I played tennis every day. Before that I would just hit a couple times when there was a tournament coming up, and then I would win the tournament because there was nobody else. So I figured, why practice if I’m already winning everything?”
In her one season at Clemson, she was an All-American in singles & doubles, and reached the national singles final.
“When I played tennis every day, it was like, wow!” she continued.
