Even at simply 23 years outdated, in solely his second yr as knowledgeable tennis participant, the Davis Cup already holds a particular place in Gabriel Diallo’s coronary heart.
“It’s like the primary time. I at all times have butterflies in my abdomen once I’m referred to as to play Davis Cup,” Diallo instructed the media on Tuesday forward of the 2024 Davis Cup Finals in Malaga.
“It’s at all times an honour for me. For me, the most important honour in sport is to symbolize your nation, no matter sport you play. To get the decision, to placed on the colors of your nation, to play with Canada behind you, I’m trying ahead to it.”
Diallo shall be a member of Staff Canada for the seventh time subsequent week as a part of the Canadian squad that goals to win their second Davis Cup title in three years. The Montrealer’s first yr as a part of the workforce was the world championship 2022 marketing campaign.
Ever since his first nomination on the 2022 Davis Cup Finals Group Stage, the place he made his debut in Canada’s third tie towards Serbia, Diallo has not missed a possibility to go well with up for his nation,
“This nation has achieved an unlimited quantity for me in supporting me,” mentioned Diallo. “With out this nation, I might by no means have had the good moments I’ve had on court docket so I owe it to them to take part in workforce occasions like this.”
Although he was a part of the 2022 championship workforce, Diallo’s actual breakthrough for the nationwide workforce got here the next season. In 2023, the previous NCAA star performed the position of Canadian singles No. 1 in each tie for Staff Canada within the group stage and Closing 8, together with his first High 40 win towards Lorenzo Musetti because the Canadians upset the eventual champions Italy within the group stage. He then put the workforce on his again earlier this yr, successful a pair of singles matches in his hometown to carry Canada previous the Republic of Korea within the qualifying spherical.
Now he arrives in Malaga on the finish of a profession yr that noticed him qualify for his first Grand Slam at Roland-Garros, attain the third spherical of a significant for the primary time on the US Open, enter the High 100 of the ATP rankings, and attain his first tour-level ultimate on the ATP 250 occasion in Almaty, Kazakhstan.
When requested how issues have modified during the last yr, Diallo defined, “I’m enjoying one of the best tennis of my profession. That’s a optimistic. However it additionally comes with extra accountability, extra expectations, extra strain. The extra your rating will increase, the extra individuals, the nation, sponsors, even you count on extra of your self. I feel that’s going to be one thing I’m going to study to handle.”
At simply 23 years outdated, Diallo has made good progress in his growth after turning skilled in 2023. In actual fact, he revealed that issues he may very well be additional alongside than he anticipated to be at this stage of his profession.
“It positively got here quicker than I believed. My coach and I knew that I might in all probability play my greatest tennis at 25, 26 years outdated so we had been constructing round that and it got here a lot quicker. Dipping my toes within the water final yr and going and enjoying a full schedule, going all around the globe, locations I’ve by no means been earlier than, it introduced me a whole lot of expertise. I’ve been confronted with many various challenges final yr and this yr, completely different conditions, Grand Slams, Davis Cups, enjoying Nationwide Financial institution Open tournaments, all that added along with the truth that we relentlessly work on my sport and add stuff and grasp stuff and all of it got here collectively.”
As to what he’s doing higher now than a yr in the past, Diallo’s actual phrases had been “the whole lot of my sport,” highlighting particularly his serve, his motion, his internet sport, and his precision.
Learn additionally: Shapovalov, Diallo Look to Energy Canada at Davis Cup Closing 8 – Meet the Staff
Now he must put that into motion in Malaga, the place he and teammate Denis Shapovalov shall be coming in scorching.
Diallo is lower than a month faraway from reaching his first profession ultimate in Almaty, whereas Shapovalov lately ended a five-year title drought with a victory on the Belgrade Open. As the highest two Canadians on the workforce within the ATP rankings, they are going to be anticipated to steer the cost for Staff Canada.
These latest outcomes may match in Canada’s favour. Diallo defined that “It at all times makes a distinction since you arrive at competitions with good emotions on the court docket. I entered the High 100, I reached my first ultimate. Denis gained the second title of his profession. It’s necessary that we’re arriving with good emotions and good momentum. I feel it’s higher to have the momentum in your aspect and we’ve it with us so we’ll attempt to carry it into Malaga.”
Learn additionally: Revisiting Rafael Nadal’s 5 Titles on the Nationwide Financial institution Open
Canada will play Germany within the quarter-finals, the identical opponent they confronted within the final eight two years in the past on their strategy to the title. A win might probably arrange a conflict with the hosts Spain and Rafael Nadal, who shall be collaborating in his ultimate occasion as knowledgeable. If Nadal performs singles, there’s a excessive likelihood that Diallo will face the 22-time main champion.
Talking of Nadal, Diallo shared a enjoyable little tidbit that he believes he watched the highlights of Nadal’s 2012 Australian Open ultimate with Novak Djokovic greater than 25 instances.
Viewers can watch Staff Canada’s Billie Jean King Cup Finals and Davis Cup Closing 8 ties at no cost on CBC Gem, cbcsports.ca, the CBC Sports activities app, and CBC Sports activities’ official YouTube channel. The ties may even be obtainable in French, as TVA Sports activities and TVA Sports activities Direct shall be displaying Canada’s matchups, in addition to all semi-finals and finals. The schedule will be discovered under.
