TORONTO — Gabriel Diallo unleashed a dazzling backhand winner down the line, securing a 1-0 lead in his second set tiebreaker. With the crowd roaring in approval, the Canadian raced up the court, pumping his racquet in celebration.
Following his victory in the opening round of the national tournament, the 23-year-old from Montreal blasted a triumphant fist pump and exclaimed, “Let’s gooooo!”
On Wednesday afternoon at Sobey Stadium’s center court, Diallo triumphed over Italian wild card Matteo Gigante with a score of 6-3, 7-6 (5), advancing to the third round of the National Bank Open Presented By Rogers. This victory marked a significant addition to his already impressive season.
“I’m really thrilled to have made it through,” a beaming Diallo remarked afterward, clad in a fresh white Adidas t-shirt and black shorts, gold chains glinting around his neck. “It seemed like we might go to a third set, but I’m glad I was able to wrap it up in two sets. I’m pleased with how I competed.”
Currently ranked No. 36 in the world, Diallo stands as the only Canadian man remaining in the singles draw of this prestigious ATP 1000 event. Felix Auger-Aliassime, Canada’s highest-ranked player at No. 28, faced an upset later on Wednesday, while Denis Shapovalov, ranked No. 29, encountered the same fate the night prior.
However, the Toronto audience was treated to a showcase of talent as Diallo demonstrated his resilience, overcoming an early break in the second set after a rain interruption.
As the tournament’s 27th seed, Diallo was quick to strike, breaking Gigante early and celebrating as he surged to a 2-0 lead in the first set. After a brief rain delay while he was up 5-3—where his towering frame (standing at six-foot-eight) required him to borrow an umbrella from a young volunteer—Diallo returned to court and easily wrapped up the first set.
The second set proved to be a greater challenge for Diallo, who faltered on break point, raising his arms in exasperation as he glanced towards his coach in the stands.
“Tennis can be pretty wild, with the momentum shifts that occur during a match. After the first set, things looked promising. I had several chances to break early in the second but missed them, and then had a rough game that cost me my serve,” Diallo reflected. “You just have to keep calm, focused, and address the little issues promptly while staying grounded in the moment.”
At one point, Gigante surged to a 5-2 lead in the second set. The world No. 125 bounded onto the court following a break, while Diallo received a wave of encouragement from the fans: “Let’s go Diallo!” He rebounded from a double fault with a stunning 228-km/h ace that reignited the crowd’s energy, saving a break point and delivering another ace to clinch the game. “Come on!” he shouted—a highlight among the eight aces he served during the match.
Diallo capitalized on three break points during Gigante’s next service game. After squandering the first two and showing visible frustration, he finally converted on the third with a brilliant backhand volley winner, triumphantly exclaiming “Yeah!” and pumping his fists while pointing to a corner of the stadium.
He held serve without conceding a single point in his next game. Despite some early errors in the tiebreaker that handed Gigante a 4-2 advantage, Diallo regained control, relying heavily on his formidable serve to secure match point.
Gigante, visibly frustrated, ended the encounter with a double fault, tossing his racquet onto the court in disappointment. It was all over.
Two years ago, Diallo celebrated his first ATP match victory at his home tournament. Just a year ago, he was ranked 165th in the world. Since then, he’s made strides at three Grand Slams, advanced through qualifiers to reach the quarter-finals at an ATP 1000 event in Madrid, and recently secured his first title at an ATP 250 event.
Now, he’s advancing to the third round on home turf.
“Things have definitely shifted a bit,” Diallo noted. “Now there are expectations for me to perform well here.”
On this memorable Wednesday, Diallo undoubtedly rose to meet those expectations.
