ATP Tour

First-Time Winner Spotlight: Gabriel Diallo

Gabriel Diallo completed a clinical week of grass-court tennis Sunday at the Libema Open, where his first five tour-level wins on the surface contributed to his maiden ATP Tour title.

The 23-year-old Canadian powered past good friend Zizou Bergs 7-5, 7-6(8) in the final and, with his title run, climbed 11 spots to a career-high No. 44 in the PIF ATP Rankings. After his victory, Diallo spoke to ATPTour.com about the milestone week at the Dutch ATP 250 in ‘s-Hertogenbosch.

What does it mean to win your first ATP Tour title?
It’s tough to put into words. It’s a really special feeling. I’ve played really well this week, some of the best tennis I’ve played on grass. To do it in my second final is really special, considering I lost a tight [match] in my first one. It’s something that you work for your entire life and something that you dream of, so I’m really happy.

What does breaking into the Top 50 mean to you?
It means a lot. At the end of the year, you evaluate and you set goals for the upcoming year. With me being No. 87 going into 2025, we were thinking about that Top 50. To achieve it already in June with five months more to play, it’s a good feeling, but we’re not going to sit on our heels, we’re going to try and achieve even more things.

What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned since becoming a professional?
In college, there is so much pressure and expectation from your teammates, coaches and the school, you want to do well for everyone. When you lose, it affects you a little bit more. So, what I’ve learned on Tour is to ask yourself the right questions, after losing or winning. Do not be afraid to evaluate where you are and how you're doing. Do not dwell on the losses.

Are there specific moments in your career that helped you get to this point?
All the big things that I did, or I thought at the time were pretty huge: Winning U18 nationals in Canada, making the NCAA finals in college, winning my first Future, my first Challenger. All those moments, even though they’re not the same, to you it means the exact same. The more you expose yourself to those, you can deal and manage those in the future, and this is another great achievement.

Who are the key figures that helped you get to this point?
First and foremost, it’s my mum and dad. For me to be able to do these things, I’m aware of how much they sacrificed to put me in the position that I am. They put their dreams on hold. They took a risk moving to Montreal to give me a chance, they worked really hard. They did all these things to put me in this position, and I just try to give them back as much as I can by trying really hard and playing my butt off.

How would you describe yourself as a player?
I try to be aggressive and take it to my opponent. 1-2 tennis, but I’m also not afraid to have a bit of feel and touch to try and extend the rallies.

How would you describe yourself off the court?
I don’t take things too seriously, I like to joke around and be laid back. When it’s time to talk about tennis for sure, but outside I don’t take anything seriously.

What are your biggest interests outside of tennis?
I really like movies. Watching other sports like football and basketball. Discovering new things and being introduced to new cultures. Spending time with my best friends and girlfriend, they are very special people that I don’t get to see often, so I really cherish those moments.

How will you celebrate?
For sure with a beer. Spending time with my team, they will be pretty pumped up and will probably have more than one, but I will stick to one beer. We’ll sleep well and then head off to Queen’s on a new plate.