Gabriel Diallo makes the call during his breakthrough in Almaty | ATP Tour

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During the breakout Almaty race, Diallo came calling.

Cheering on my Canadian cousin at his first ATP Tour finals

October 18, 2024

Gabriel Diallo won’t soon forget this week’s Almaty Open. It’s not just because of what the Canadian does on the court.

Yes, Diallo has reached the ATP Tour quarterfinals for the first time and has now advanced to the semifinals, moving him closer to the popular top 100 in the PIF ATP Rankings benchmark. However, having just turned 23, he met his older family on his mother’s side for the first time.

“Here I met a cousin I had never met in my life,” he said. “It’s very special because my cousin lives here in Almaty and comes to watch me play. And I think that helped me throughout the week.”

Diallo also plans to go sightseeing with his cousin after his final game.

It could still be a few days as the 6-foot-8 giant server advanced to the last four with a 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 win over Alejandro Tabilo in the high altitude of Almaty on Friday.

A hip injury impacted Montreal early in the year, halting any momentum he had gained from the end of 2023.

But the former University of Kentucky standout said winning the Chicago Challenger in late July without dropping a set was pivotal to his rise. In all competitions since the Challenger began, Diallo has compiled a record of 27 wins and 7 losses.

Ranked 103rd in September after the third round of the U.S. Open qualifiers, Diallo’s real-time ranking rose above the top 100 immediately following her win over Canadian-born Tabilo.

“It would be nice to continue to move up the ranks, but we’re definitely very focused on the process,” Diallo said.

It was a measured response from the well-spoken Diallo, but he admitted he spends his time looking at the rankings.

“Especially after last week. I had to defend points and I was able to defend big chunks.” said Diallo, who won the Bratislava Challenger 12 months ago. “So I knew I would get there. Before I started in Almaty, I was 118 years old. Now I’m in the top 100. But there are people behind me who are hungry, playing well and trying to get moving. So I had to stay focused and do my part.”

In his still-young ATP main draw career, Diallo hit 70% of his second serve points against the second seed, hitting another personal best on Friday.

“It’s definitely good because you don’t want to be so one-dimensional that if you don’t get that first serve, you know you’re in big trouble,” he said.

He’s the type of player who likes to celebrate key moments in his career without going overboard when a tournament is over. That might mean eating a small cake, having a beer, a glass of wine, or enjoying poutine when you’re at home.

Even if Diallo loses to fourth seed Francisco Cerundolo on Saturday, his accomplishments in Almaty will undoubtedly be worthy of a treat. A tournament hotel can be a starting point.

“The view from the hotel is amazing,” Diallo said. “We got the mountain.”