Gabriel Diallo is an underdog no more

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Gabriel Diallo is an underdog no more

Insight from Diallo and college teammate Draxl

Andrew Eichenholz/ATP Tour Gabriel Diallo, who won his first ATP Tour title this year in 's-Hertogenbosch, is a seed at an ATP Masters 1000 event for the first time in Toronto. By Andrew Eichenholz

Last July, Gabriel Diallo lost in the first round in Newport in straight sets. The Canadian was the No. 165 player in the PIF ATP Rankings and still searching for a breakthrough, but the Canadian remained undeterred. He spent time on the hard courts of the International Tennis Hall of Fame after being eliminated, continuing to work on his game with his coach.

Now Diallo is the World No. 36 and one of the most dangerous players at his home ATP Masters 1000 event, the National Bank Open Presented by Rogers. Twelve months on from needing a wild card to enter the main draw in Montreal, Diallo is the 27th seed in Toronto.

“I think the approach is going to be a little bit different compared to the previous years. [I] have to prepare a little bit differently as well,” Diallo told ATPTour.com. “The last two years I was coming in as a wild card or maybe as an underdog with a little less to lose. Now, obviously, it’s different. I’m seeded, I'm going to have to prepare really well. I am going to have to fight as well as I can. [I’m] really looking forward to it.”

Felix Auger-Aliassime and Denis Shapovalov, Nos. 28 and 29, respectively, are the top two Canadians in the PIF ATP Rankings. But Diallo is less than 10 spots behind and appears on the rise. The 23-year-old recently won his first ATP Tour title in ‘s-Hertogenbosch.

“It’s been good. Obviously, the ranking has been going up, so [I am] very happy about that. But not only [am I] happy about that, but the level in general,” Diallo said. “The consistency, the improvements have been very noticeable, so my team and I are very happy about that. Looking forward to continuing in this direction.”

Some players enjoy one huge run that changes the course of their career. For Diallo, that has not been the case. The Canadian has chipped away, earning solid results, with highlights including a run to this year’s Madrid quarter-finals as a qualifier. He also pushed eventual semi-finalist Taylor Fritz to five sets in the Wimbledon second round.

“There’s moments this year where I felt like things were turning towards the right direction. For sure, the Madrid run was a good week,” Diallo said. “The run also in ‘s-Hertogenbosch and even in some losses as well, where I felt like I was going the right direction like against Taylor in Wimbledon. So, tough to pinpoint one moment, but it’s been a constant growth and an accumulation of good matches I was able to put together.”

A big difference between Diallo and his countrymen, Auger-Aliassime and Shapovalov, is that he did not turn professional immediately after his junior career, instead attending college at the University of Kentucky. The former All-American turned pro before the spring of his senior year. There was plenty of pressure competing in college for his school and teammates, which has prepared him for the environment he faces today.

“It’s about managing pressure and expectation. I haven't felt this amount of pressure and expectation since college,” Diallo said. “I think for me it was at the highest level possible. You have pressure from your teammates, from your coaches, from the school to perform. It’s really a matter of life or death over there.

“So maybe it’s a little bit too much, but I think it really helped me for the transition to the pros, and I think I can learn a lot from those experiences and bring them in.”

Liam Draxl and Gabriel Diallo in Toronto. Photo: Andrew Eichenholz/ATP Tour.

One of his teammates was Liam Draxl, who is on the verge of breaking into the Top 100 himself. Diallo is a big-hitting righty who stands 6’8”, but Draxl explained there is more to his friend than a big game.

“He’s tall and maybe a little intimidating on court, but he’s a gentle giant," Draxl said. "He’s just a super nice, humble dude. Just always a lot of laughs with Gab and he’s just a great guy, that’s what I would say. He’s maybe a lot more gentle than it seems.”

Following in their footsteps is Nicolas Arseneault, the 18-year-old Canadian who reached the second round in Toronto. The teen is committed to the University of Kentucky.

“I saw these Canadians doing super well, so I'm like, they're doing something right there,” Arseneault said. “So I had to commit.”

Diallo has come a long way in a year on the court, and he continues to prepare himself for the spotlight — like the one he is under this week in Toronto — by working hard not just on his tennis, but his mind.

“I think it’s a lot of mental work and just being exposed to these situations. Just being put in that environment where you're seeded in events and obviously guys are looking forward to playing you and trying to knock you out,” Diallo said. “It’s going to be a process thing most likely. And yeah, it’s going to be a little bit of a different approach. But at the end of the day, it’s a good thing because you are going towards the right direction.”

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