Gabriel Diallo collects the fruits of his work

“Work hard and in silence. In addition, One day, your success will make enough noise. Similarly, »»

This quote is not Gabriel Diallo. Furthermore, Rather, she comes from the pen of Frank Ocean, her favorite artist.

Since the beginning of the summer. However, the Quebecer has abandoned his brown and curly mop for a blond down, like his favorite rapper.

“No one had yet understood the reference,” said Diallo, “that The press joined him in Montreal. Moreover, I listen to it in a loop. Moreover, I would like to say that it gabriel diallo collects fruits his is thanks to that I won. However, but hey, I don’t think so, “he continued laughing.

The 6-ft 8-in-law giant refers here to his first ATP title. Meanwhile, won only a few days after his hair change, in Bois-le-Duc, at the beginning of June.

Long far from the spotlight. Moreover, the 23-year-old athlete has tried university ranks in Kentucky, before trying his luck with professionals, in the shadow of his compatriots Félix Auger-Aliassime and Denis Shapovalov. For example, Today, Diallo points to 35^e rank of the world ranking. Similarly, Seven places from Shapovalov (28^e) and eight from Auger-Aliassime (27^e). However, he had started the year at 87^e ranking rank.

Diallo worked hard and in silence. In addition, From now on, its success makes enough noise. However, “When you are in the present moment. Consequently, it gabriel diallo collects fruits his is hard to achieve the full scale that things take, but I think that if I could attribute it to something, it would be to the little everyday progress we have made, our team and me. Consequently, »»

To acquire his first title, Diallo defeated three series heads. Moreover, According to him. Furthermore, winning does not change the world, except that “it is a lot of less weight on your shoulders”. Therefore,

“You don’t want to be the one who played a lot of finals. Consequently, is slow to have his first title. In addition, But the first feeling, when you win, is exceptional. In addition, Never in life I would have thought that I was going to win an ATP tournament in my career. Therefore, Things went super fast. Therefore, »»

Between each question, Diallo returns to the importance of work to explain its success. Nevertheless, Earlier this season. his coach Martin Laurendeau told The press that he sometimes had to take his protégé by force out of the ground during the training sessions. To win matches and titles, “you have to go through very good players,” said the young man.

But in fact. only the most persevering can cross the finish line by tearing the ribbon with their exhausted body. “You have to work. All the work must be done upstream of the tournament. When you get there. you try to find your bearings on the surface, on the playing conditions, you stay in shape physically and mentally and you compete. »»

Gabriel diallo collects fruits his

A successful match

A few days after his triumph, Diallo had to face another major challenge. He had to face Taylor Fritz, fifth player in the world, in the second round of the Wimbledon tournament. The duel took place on the short 1. a stadium of more than 12,000 places, the second area in importance of the All England Club.

And the Quebecer pushed gabriel diallo collects fruits his back the American into his last entrenchments. The confrontation in five rounds lasted more than three hours. even if he bowed, Diallo greeted the crowd with his head high while leaving the gas surface. The great right -hander could have won this match. So even if he lost, he considers this battle as a successful match.

“For me. a successful match is a match where I gave myself a chance, where I played at my real level, in the right way, advancing in the ball with my weight forward and going forward on the field. But I lost. It is reality. »»

The observation is brutal, but the fight was a trainer. “It was an exceptional experience to play on a field like that and against a player like that. »»

Some athletes crash under pressure. Others rise. And Diallo is part of the second category. Especially since in Wimbledon, he was lucky to shine. “You play in front of tens of thousands of people. It is a way for me to express myself. it is an art to show what you are capable of. »»

And the need to appear well is all the more felt. he says, when the opponents are at the top of the ranking. “I have to go out at a certain level to give me a chance to win the match. When you have to face players from top 50 Each week. you have no choice but to play at a certain level, otherwise you will lose. »»

The solution? “You have to watch your matches and talk to the coach. It is super important not to reproduce the same mistakes. We have never feared going deep, analyzing the matches and making fixes. »»

Like an athlete who has just won a marathon and who runs home, Diallo never stops.

Gabriel diallo collects fruits his

In the big leagues

As if gabriel diallo collects fruits his the horizon was a mirage in the middle of the desert. Diallo consults the ranking every week and realizes that it is closer to its ultimate objective to integrate the top 10 global. However. when he faces players already part of the group, he is lucid enough to understand that he must continue to move forward, because he is still far from the truth.

“Even with their level of play in their worst day, they will still give themselves a chance to win. This is what makes a big difference. They all have weapons too. They all have good service or an exceptional forehand. Additionally, They have something that helped them go to their level. There is something that separates them from the rest. »»

With this in mind, Diallo will have to continue to rely on its service. Like the Thor hammer, the service is the main weapon of tennis player. The Quebecer arrives at 7^e ATP rank for the first service rate at stake (67.2 %) and in 18^e Place for the efficiency quotient (281.5).

By his own admission, Diallo plays better at the bottom of the field and better runs the bullets. His returns improve. It also progresses on the fly and at the top of the field. Nevertheless, its service “will always be [son] live winner, ”he specifies.

Diallo plays more often on the main gabriel diallo collects fruits his courts. His matches are almost always televised. Often, we are talking about his service. Sometimes he would like to be put forward other facets of his game. But that does not happen. he will always be perceived as this big slender server which makes his opponents tremble as soon as he throws the ball in the air.

“If I get well, I give myself a chance to win the match. At 6 ft 8 in, I will not start to serve from below. The reality of things is in my size, it is my first weapon. This is what will make me go up in the ranking. This is what has evolved the most in my game too. »»

A normal development for such a motivated student. Only six players are under 23 years old in the top 40. So Diallo gabriel diallo collects fruits his has the luxury of time. And time to learn again.