(New York) His initial goal was relatively modest: qualifying for the main draw of the US Open. A week later, that goal has become a daydream for Gabriel Diallo, who won the second Grand Slam tournament victory of his career on Thursday night in New York.
Opposed to the French Arthur Fils, 24e The top seed, the 22-year-old Montrealer played the tennis of his life to win in four sets, 7-5, 6-7 (3), 6-4, and 6-4, and reach the third round of the Flushing Meadows tournament.
After securing the last game of the match without conceding a single point, he experienced a moment of intense joy, combining gratitude for those around him with the satisfaction of seeing a dream come true that he himself would have had difficulty believing in two years ago.
PHOTO PAMELA SMITH, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Arthur Son
“I was very happy,” the 143 later described to reporters.e racket in the world. “Especially for my team, my coach, my agent, my physical trainer, who sacrificed a lot to help me. They leave their family to accompany me in my dream, in my project. I thought of them. I saw the joy in their faces.
“Afterwards, I was happy for myself because it’s certain that when you’re young, you dream of being in a moment like that. And it’s also certain that two years ago, when I was still in school, I don’t know if I would have believed you if you had told me that I was going to qualify and go to the third round of the US Open. Dreams come true when you put in the work,” added the man who played on the University of Kentucky tennis team before turning pro.
In the first round, Gabriel Diallo won his first ever Grand Slam tournament victory in four sets against the Spaniard Jaume Munar. In the third round, he will face the American Tommy Paul, 14e seeded in New York. The latter qualified for the third round following the withdrawal of Australian Max Purcell, who withdrew after losing the first two sets of his second-round match.
“He’s a very good player, one of the best in the world, especially here,” Diallo said of Paul. “Last year, he had a good tournament. He’s someone I’ve been following since I was in college. He’s progressing. It’s not going to be easy, especially here. There’s a lot of excitement around American tennis. But I’m going to do my best. I’m going to prepare well for the match, recover well and have a lot of fun on Saturday.”
Gabriel Diallo almost missed his initial goal, however. To survive the first of three rounds of qualifying for the US Open, he had to save two match points in the second set after losing the first set. He also struggled to win his second qualifying match before winning more easily in the third.
He recalled his struggles in qualifying to overcome his nerves when serving for the match in the fourth set against Fils.
“The nerves were there, but I remembered that I thought I was going to go home a week ago. Everything has been a bonus since then,” he said, smiling.
Diallo and Fils were facing each other for the first time. The two young players spent the first set getting to know each other’s game, committing roughly equal numbers of unforced errors. Diallo won the set by breaking his rival’s serve for the first time, as he was serving at 5-6.
Son won the second set in the tiebreak with some brilliant shots that brought to life a raucous and enthusiastic crowd that supported the players in roughly equal proportions.
“It was fun,” Diallo said of the atmosphere in a packed Stadium 17. “It reminded me a lot of college, but it was even louder.”
“This is what we work for, to have the chance to play in front of such amazing fans,” he added. “And of course, it’s the first time I’ve won matches in the main draw of a Grand Slam tournament.”
The atmosphere should be just as electric on Saturday during Diallo’s next match, on which court it is not yet known. One thing is for sure, however: Paul’s fans will be louder than Diallo’s. At least, at the beginning of the match. By the end, the Montrealer’s daydream may have finally won over the New Yorkers.