Canadian dreams shattered as Diallo loses to Fritz in the third round of the National Bank Open in Canada
In the third round of the National Bank Open 2025, Canadian tennis player Gabriel Diallo faced a tough challenge against Taylor Fritz. Despite a powerful serve that reached 223 km/h and an aggressive net play style, Diallo struggled to maintain consistency in his service game and error control under pressure, resulting in a straight-sets defeat (6-4, 6-2).
Fritz, who seemed content to maintain a smart, steady game, capitalized on break points against Diallo and won 48% of his first serves in the first set. Diallo committed six double faults and a total of 33 unforced errors, compared to Fritz's 16, which heavily contributed to his defeat.
The loss to Fritz exposed key tactical and technical gaps in Diallo's game that need to be addressed to progress further at Masters 1000 level events like the National Bank Open. Martin Laurendeau, Diallo's coach, acknowledges numerous areas for improvement and emphasizes the steep learning curve Diallo is currently navigating, with a focus on refining various aspects of his game.
Improvement strategies for Diallo should focus on:
- Enhancing service reliability and reducing double faults, particularly in high-pressure moments.
- Minimizing unforced errors to maintain competitiveness against top-ranked opponents.
- Continuing to develop his aggressive, net-approach style to leverage his height and serve.
- Mental game improvements to manage key points more effectively and use crowd energy optimally, as Diallo expressed the importance of playing with courage and composure during big moments.
Other third-round winners at the US$9.19-million tournament include 20th-seeded Alejandro Davidovich Fokina of Spain, 13th-seeded Italian Flavio Cobolli, seventh-seeded American Frances Tiafoe, and sixth-seeded Russian Andrey Rublev.
Play continues through Thursday at the National Bank Open, with Liam Draxl of Newmarket, Ont., and Calgary's Cleeve Harper set to face Sander Arends and Guido Andreozzi in doubles play. Fritz will face Jiri Lehecka in the fourth round of the tournament. Lehecka, who posted a 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 win over Arthur Fils of France earlier in the day, will present another tough challenge for Fritz.
Despite playing the last Canadian player in the tournament, Fritz felt the crowd was nice for him. Diallo, on the other hand, felt that he let Fritz "bully" him around the court, indicating that mental game improvements will be key for his future success. As Diallo continues to learn and grow, fans can expect to see him back on the court, working hard to refine his game and overcome the challenges he faced during the National Bank Open.
Tennis player Gabriel Diallo needs to improve his serve reliability and reduce double faults, especially in high-pressure moments, as this was a significant factor in his defeat against Taylor Fritz in the National Bank Open 2025. To address his unforced error count, Diallo should also focus on minimizing these mistakes to remain competitive against top-ranked opponents.
Tennis player Taylor Fritz will face Jiri Lehecka in the fourth round of the National Bank Open, presenting another tough challenge for him. Fritz, however, felt the crowd was supportive during his matches, contrasting Diallo's sentiment that he was "bullied" around the court by Fritz, indicating the importance of mental game improvements for Diallo's future success.
