Taylor Fritz eliminates Gabriel Diallo from competition
In the 2025 National Bank Open (Toronto ATP Masters 1000), Canadian tennis player Gabriel Diallo's journey came to an end in the third round. Despite a promising start, Diallo was defeated by second-seeded Taylor Fritz with scores of 6-4, 6-2.
Diallo, who had advanced to the third round by beating Matteo Gigante, showcased resilience by saving set points and battling through a tight tiebreaker in the previous round [1][3]. However, against Fritz, he found the match disappointing, stating that it wasn't the kind of match he expected, especially given the home crowd support [4][5].
Fritz, who has 10 ATP Tour titles, including wins on grass this year at Eastbourne and Stuttgart, proved to be more consistent in their encounter [9]. Diallo struggled with his game on a cool and comfortable evening at the Sobeys Stadium, hitting powerful shots at inopportune times and having issues with his net play. The match lasted for one hour and 15 minutes [6].
The loss left Diallo as the only Canadian remaining in the 96-player singles draw. Earlier in the week, Montreal's Felix Auger-Aliassime (21) and Denis Shapovalov (22) of Richmond Hill, Ontario, were among the Canadian players who lost their first matches [2].
Diallo found it particularly disappointing that the Canadians didn't have a better performance in the tournament. He also expressed disappointment with his own match, stating that he felt he let people down with his performance, and didn't have his chance on the court or get the crowd going [7].
Meanwhile, sixth-seeded Russian Andrey Rublev advanced to the next round by beating Italian Lorenzo Sonego 5-7, 6-4, 6-3. Rublev will face Spanish Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the next round, while Fritz will face Czech Jiri Lehecka, the 19th seed, in the fourth round [8].
Lehecka, who beat French favorite Arthur Fils 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, will be Fritz's next opponent. Canadian doubles pair Nicolas Arsenault and Justin Boulais were eliminated from the doubles tournament [10].
Looking back at Diallo's performance, it's clear that he has made significant progress over the past year. A year ago, he was ranked No. 165 and often entered tournaments as a wildcard or underdog. In 2025, he broke through by winning his first ATP title in the Netherlands and climbing to World No. 36, earning a seeding in this high-level Masters 1000 event for the first time [2].
As Diallo looks to the future, his trajectory remains positive. Just a year ago, he struggled to progress past early rounds, but now he competes comfortably at the Masters 1000 level and has gained valuable experience from matches against top players like Fritz [2]. His improved ranking and performance consistency suggest he can continue to rise, provided he maintains focus and adapts to the increased expectations that come with being seeded in major tournaments [2].
In conclusion, while the loss to Fritz ended Diallo's Toronto campaign, his trajectory remains positive, pointing to a promising future in professional tennis.
[1] Diallo saves set points, battles through tight tiebreaker to advance. [2] Diallo breaks through, wins first ATP title in the Netherlands. [3] Diallo advances to third round of Toronto ATP Masters 1000. [4] Diallo expresses disappointment with match against Fritz. [5] Diallo feels he let people down with his performance. [6] Match lasted for one hour and 15 minutes. [7] Diallo found it disappointing that the Canadians didn't have a better performance in the tournament. [8] Sixth-seeded Russian Andrey Rublev advances, Fritz to face Czech Jiri Lehecka. [9] Fritz proved to be more consistent in their encounter. [10] Canadian doubles pair Nicolas Arsenault and Justin Boulais eliminated from doubles tournament.
- Despite his promising start and impressive progress in the past year, Canadian tennis player Gabriel Diallo found his encounter with second-seeded Taylor Fritz in the 2025 National Bank Open (Toronto ATP Masters 1000) disappointing, as he was defeated with scores of 6-4, 6-2.
- Gabriel Diallo, who had advanced to the third round by saving set points and battling through a tight tiebreaker, showed his love for the sport once again by expressing disappointment with his match against Fritz, stating that he felt let down, not just by himself, but also by not living up to the home crowd support in the tournament, which included fellow Canadian tennis players like Felix Auger-Aliassime and Denis Shapovalov.
