In a disappointing turn of events, Canadian tennis star Gabriel Diallo had to retire from his opening-round match at the French Open due to an injury while competing against Australia’s James Duckworth.
Duckworth, currently ranked No. 82 in the world, took the first set 6-3 in a swift 43 minutes at Roland Garros. He was ahead 4-1 in the second when Diallo, ranked 49th, could no longer continue.
Hailing from Montreal, the 24-year-old Diallo came into the tournament with lower back issues and had even sustained a finger cut from a glass bottle just days before his match.
Diallo began the match on even footing against the 34-year-old Duckworth, but lost critical momentum after a backhand error, which allowed Duckworth to break serve and take a 4-2 lead.
After closing out the first set, Duckworth’s confidence soared while Diallo’s physical limitations became apparent. This opened the door for the Australian to swiftly establish a 4-1 double-break advantage, ultimately leading to Diallo’s retirement.
Looking ahead, Denis Shapovalov is set to face Jaime Faria, and Félix Auger-Aliassime will compete against Daniel Altmaier on Tuesday. Meanwhile, on the women’s front, Victoria Mboko will take on Nikola Bartunkova on the same day, while Leylah Fernandez is scheduled for a matchup against Alycia Parks on Monday.
