TORONTO | When Gabriel Diallo showed up at Granby a year ago, where he would win the first Challenger title of his career, he was 519e in the world. The Quebecer will now flirt with the 130e Rank of the ATP on Monday going strong with his first win over the ATP. In addition, in a Masters 1000 and against a player who is in the top 25.
How far will the likeable 21-year-old giant get, who at just 1.80m tall displays an explosive style capable of throwing off and even beating the best racquets in the world, as you could see in the last few days? Top 50, Top 20? Even better?
Because tennis is tennis, it cannot be predicted with certainty. Even players are increasingly reluctant to publicly express their ranking ambitions.
Photo Getty Images via AFP
a good student
But one thing seems certain: For the Montrealer, this is just the beginning.
Because despite his rapid rise in the table, despite his victory against Brit Daniel Evans, 21st racquet in the world, on Tuesday in the first round of the National Bank Open in Toronto, Diallo still has a lot to learn, explains his coach Martin Laurendeau.
Martin Laurendeau (in white) on the sidelines during Gabriel Diallo’s match against Alex de Minaur at Wednesday’s National Bank Open in Toronto. Photo Jessica Lapinski
Which is normal given that Gabriel has only been a pro for eight months.
And which is good since Gabriel is a student. A real man who is about to graduate with a degree in finance after opting to spend a few years at American University rather than taking the plunge at 18 to start his career.
But he is also a connoisseur of the game. We quickly understand him when he talks about the ranking of his opponents in an interview.
“The consistency [d’Alex de Minaur, son tombeur au deuxième tour]”That’s what makes the difference,” emphasized the Montrealer on Wednesday. That’s why he never made it out of the top 50.
The confirmation was made, since he was included in this famous Top 50 in August 2018, de Minaur, currently 18th in the world, has never left him.
If that question had been considered, Diallo would have got the point.
Many, many firsts
“Gabriel is still in the full discovery phase right now,” explains Laurendeau, who has been full-time supporting Diallo in his transition from the university to the ATP circuit for the past year.
“This year was his first time in Australia, qualifying for a Grand Slam tournament, in Europe, on red clay, on grass, his first ATP 250, his first Masters 1000, he counts.” He’s really learning something about professional life on the race track.
Photo Getty Images via AFP
This life on the track is very different than life in the NCAA. Diallo also pointed this out on Wednesday. As he sat down with some of the biggest names in tennis this week, he learned about their unshakable routine.
“It wasn’t constant at university,” he said in particular. When we won it was great. Everyone stretched.
“But when we lost, we went back to the van. The coach wasn’t happy, so we didn’t have time to stretch and do stuff like that,” he continued with a smile.
Two years to find your way around
But already, Laurendeau notes, his game has evolved a lot. Of course there is still room for improvement. And that’s a good thing, because it means the Montrealer is nowhere near his full potential.
“He still needs to improve his consistency,” said the coach. He’s capable of big wins and playing with his intimidating big game in some games. […] But to get in the top 20 or top 50 you need consistency.”
“It’ll take a while. [à acquérir]. And he has to take his time because everything happened so quickly last year.
Photo Getty Images via AFP
The experienced Laurendeau, a former player himself, believes it could take his charge two years on the circuit to really settle down.
Five inches in three years!
But Diallo seems to have all the qualities needed to fulfill his potential. His current mentor describes him as having “a good head on his shoulders”.
“He’s calm, well educated, he knows he has a lot to do, he studies the game a lot, he’s very analytical and he’s very humble about where he’s from and what he wants to achieve professionally,” the coach.
Because Diallo’s progress, as fast as it has been for a year, comes late. At 18, he wasn’t ready to turn pro.
Like many other players, explains Laurendeau, who also recalls that athletes on courts like Félix Auger-Aliassime and Denis Shapovalov are the exception and not the norm.
Even the growth is quite recent. At least by his standards as a very great player. Because when he came to the University of Kentucky at the age of 18, Diallo was 1.90 meters tall. Since then he has gained five centimeters.
Photo Getty Images via AFP
“Even his body is not that well established,” emphasizes the coach. And with tall people, coordination takes longer.
“It’s within reach”
But already this week’s results suggest Diallo is on the right track.
“He had a chance to play two games and really see how he compares to the best in the world, against the top 20, the top 25,” Laurendeau said.
“And it’s reassuring to see that he’s doing well and that there’s still work to be done, but that it’s within his reach,” he says.