Quote of the Day: Teenage takeover of 2024 Australian Open 'makes me feel old,' says Leylah Fernandez

After a first-round Australian Open victory over a talented teenager, 21-year-old Leylah Fernandez said the years keep comin' (and they don't stop comin').

The No. 32 seed opened her stay in Melbourne with a 7-6(5), 6-2 win over 17-year-old Czech qualifier Sara Bejlek on Sunday, and the Czech talent pushed the former Grand Slam finalist hard in the first set. Fernandez served to stay in the opener twice, and was two points away from losing the tiebreak, before upping her level in the straight-sets triumph.

The Canadian's win—just her second in her fifth career Australian Open main draw—came ahead of a rare double that was achieved by two 16-year-olds, Brenda Fruhvirtova and Alina Korneeva, who became the youngest pair of women to reach the second round at a Grand Slam since 2007.

And after beating Bejlek, one of the 11 total teenagers in Melbourne's main draw, the former US Open finalist—who, a little more than two years ago, was experiencing what it's like to be a teenager turning heads at a Grand Slam—waxed poetic on the passing of time.

Q. Eleven teenagers started in the women's draw. When you are playing against someone that young, does it take you back to the time when you were starting out at the elite level?

LEYLAH FERNANDEZ: It honestly makes me feel old (laughing). But, yeah, when I play against someone younger, it does make me think a little bit more of when I first started. I think that also helps because I remember when I started, I was hungry. I wanted to kind of prove myself that I could be here.

I just knew that today she's going to have that same feeling, she's going to do that. She was playing really well. So I think I was just happy that, like I said, on key moments I was able to stay calm and just execute my game.

Q. Do you remember that many teenagers being in a main draw at a major when you were doing it?

LEYLAH FERNANDEZ: No, because I don't have a great memory, so I don't really remember what happened yesterday, let alone two, three years ago. So I think I'll just have to look back then, but yeah, I just don't remember.

The Canadian's senescence might not fade by the time she takes the court again in two days' time. While Fernandez will again be the younger player when she faces 23-year-old American Alycia Parks in the second round, she'll still be the one more experienced. Parks is bidding to reach the third round of a Grand Slam tournament for the first time in her Australian Open main-draw debut.