Three of the four players of the Canadian formation which will participate in the Davis Cup as of Tuesday are Quebecers. For Alexis Galarneau, this is proof that Tennis Québec has succeeded in its mission.
Updated yesterday at 3:32 p.m.
Félix Auger-Aliassime of Quebec, Alexis Galarneau of Laval and Gabriel Diallo of Montreal will represent the Maple Leaf in Valencia, Spain for the group stage of the Davis Cup Finals. Even Vasek Pospisil from British Columbia is near perfect in the language of Molière and he grew up mostly in Montreal. This is why this team has a very special identity that makes Galarneau proud.
“It’s great to be on the team and to speak French. These are beautiful moments, we remember beautiful memories, ”he explained on the phone Monday noon.
Among these memories, he remembers the tournaments he played, when he was younger, with Tennis Québec. In particular the tournaments for 12 years and under. It was there that he met the man who is now one of his closest friends, Félix Auger-Aliassime.
Without the help of the federation, he would never have made this meeting and Quebec tennis would not be where it is today.
PHOTO JERRY LAI, USA TODAY SPORTS
Felix Auger-Aliassime
“We all had this first impression of being part of the federation via the Quebec team. It also makes us want to continue at the highest level and break into tennis, the camps we had were so well organized. Being able to compete against the best on the planet was great. Team Quebec camps have played a big role in Quebec tennis,” said Galarneau.
Moreover, the French fact within the team could be to the advantage of the formation which will try to reach the final phase which will take place in November. To do so, they will have to compete with Spain, Serbia and South Korea in Group B.
The esprit de corps and the camaraderie between the compatriots could give them a chance: “I think that will be the key this week”, added the one who will be in a second experience at the biggest team tournament in the world.
According to him, the team chemistry is impeccable and the relationship between each teammate is at its best. “It will be the teams that are able to come back with the most energy, the best team spirit and the desire to fight for their teammates who will win. I think that to date, we are doing a really good job. »
A different role
A lot has happened since last winter when Galarneau played for the first time in the Davis Cup. The 23-year-old athlete reached a Challenger tournament final, but he especially became one of the crowd favorites at the National Bank Open in Montreal by warming up to Grigor Dimitrov on the center court of the IGA stadium.
His life has changed, but so has his status. His place in the team was almost guaranteed as his game inspires confidence. He’s moved up the ranks at Tennis Canada and feels he might be able to build on his momentum in Europe: “I was confident I could play again, but there are a lot of Canadian players who are playing well right now. . I’m confident in my abilities, but I have to give credit to all my teammates who are playing really well, so I didn’t take it for granted. »
He is able to observe the before and after Montreal. “I have even more confidence in my abilities. I believe more than ever that I can break through the top 30. Otherwise, in my environment, we are a little more overwhelmed with interview requests or potential sponsorships, ”revealed the Quebecer.
He will be aiming to make his mark in Spain this week in a format that suits him well. At North Carolina State University in the NCAA, he played as a team and he believes this experience will serve Auger-Aliassime and Diallo, who are less used to this kind of format.
Canada will play its first match against South Korea on Tuesday, then face Spain on Friday and Serbia on Saturday.