TORONTO — Leylah Fernandez vividly recalls running through the rain with her family after finally securing a Rafael Nadal autograph.

They couldn’t stop laughing. It was the perfect end to a memorable day.

“I’ve always wanted to watch the pros play or practice,” Fernandez said of attending Canada’s national tennis tournament in her youth. “It was so eye-opening, I was so in awe. They were so close, yet so far.