Leylah Fernandez Advances to Queen’s Club Final After Another Walkover

leylah fernandez and Laura Siegemund are into the women’s doubles final at the HSBC Championships after another walkover at The Queen’s Club in West London on Saturday. The pair moved one step from Fernandez’s first WTA doubles title, with Sunday’s final now against Tereza Mihalikova and Olivia Nicholls.

Queen’s Club walkover streak

The semifinal never reached the court. Fernandez and Siegemund were set to face Americans Iva Jovic and McCartney Kessler, but Jovic withdrew after losing 6-2, 6-2 to Britain’s Emma Raducanu in the singles semifinals earlier in the day.

That sent Fernandez and Siegemund straight through to the title match on June 13, 2026. It also extended an unusual run for the duo at this WTA 500 event, where they had already advanced by walkover once before.

Mboko withdrawal changed the draw

Earlier in the tournament, Victoria Mboko’s withdrawal from the event opened the path for Fernandez and Siegemund to reach the semifinals without playing. Mboko also pulled out of the rest of the grass-court season, including Wimbledon, because of a knee injury.

Those two walkovers leave Fernandez and Siegemund one match from a first title together. Fernandez is ranked 23rd in women’s singles, but the doubles draw has given her a fast track to a final that came without a completed semifinal.

Mihalikova and Nicholls await

Sunday’s final brings a different test. Tereza Mihalikova and Olivia Nicholls will stand across the net, and Fernandez and Siegemund will have to turn a tournament defined by withdrawals into a trophy. If they win, Fernandez takes home her first WTA doubles title.

The path has been unusual, but the finish line is simple: one match for the championship at Queen’s Club.