MONTREAL — Gabriel Diallo is back home and tasked with leading Canada once again.
With top Canadians Felix Auger-Aliassime and Denis Shapovalov absent, Diallo headlines this weekend’s squad for a Davis Cup tie against Hungary.
The 23-year-old from Montreal triumphed in his hometown a year ago with two singles wins against South Korea at the men’s team tennis tournament, setting up his best season yet in 2024.
Now ranked a career-high No. 85 — nearly 50 spots higher than 12 months ago — the six-foot-eight, 198-pound Diallo is approaching this weekend with his usual calm but confident attitude.
“It feels the same whether I'm No. 1-ranked or number 50 (in Canada),” he said after Friday’s draw. “I'm ready for everything, and I'm just going to do my part the best I can."
Alexis Galarneau of Laval, Que., will meet Hungary’s Fabian Marozsan on Saturday to open the best-of-five first-round qualifier.
Diallo drew Marton Fucsovics in Saturday’s second match. He hopes to pick up where he left off on the indoor hard court at IGA Stadium, which seats 2,000.
“Doing it here in Montreal last year was quite special, especially here for me,” he said. “It's the club where I grew up playing. I don't live far from here, so seeing so many familiar faces in the crowd was quite special.
“Gives you a good momentum, especially if you manage to get the win like last year, and hopefully we can have a similar result this year."
Diallo won a Challenger event, reached an ATP 250 final and made it to the US Open’s third round in 2024.
“It's been a great transformation for him,” said Canada team captain Frank Dancevic. “He's improved so many areas of his game over the years, and he's grown into a serious player on tour right now, so it's great to see and he's great to have on the team.”
Veteran player Vasek Pospisil of Vernon, B.C., Liam Draxl of Newmarket, Ont., and Calgary's Cleeve Harper round out Canada’s lineup.
Pospisil and Draxl are scheduled to take on Marozsan and Mate Valkusz in Sunday’s doubles match. If necessary, Diallo would meet Marozsan in a fourth matchup and Galarneau would battle Fucsovics in a fifth.
Canada is ranked third in the Davis Cup standings, while Hungary is 22nd. But No. 22 Auger-Aliassime is busy playing in a tournament in France and the 53rd-ranked Shapovalov withdrew from the competition last week, citing a back injury.
"Without Auger-Aliassime and Shapovalov, they are a little bit weaker,” said Hungary team captain Kornel Bardocz. “But I think they still have a very, very strong team, so we aren't underestimating the Canadian team, so the players prepared hard during the week, and they are ready for a fight."
Hungary, meanwhile, travelled overseas with its best.
Marozsan is ranked 58th in the world and reached as high as No. 36 last year. Fucsovics is only 96th but has flirted with the top 30 in the past.
"Hungary is certainly serious by bringing their top two players here,” Dancevic said. “Fucsovics is a player with a lot of experience, he's been (No. 31) in the world, so he plays a really high level. Marozsan is younger, big game, had good results at the Australian Open, comes in with confidence.
“We're really even, in my opinion. We both have good teams and it won't be a weekend that ends after the third match, it'll go four or five.”
The 25-year-old Galarneau, despite his No. 176 ranking, upset Fucsovics 6-3, 6-4 at a Challenger event in Portugal last week. Draxl, 23, is Canada’s top-ranked doubles player on the roster at No. 113.
“It's a young team, with the exception of Vasek,” Dancevic said, as laughs went around the press conference room.
Pospisil will play in his 35th Davis Cup tie — and knows it could be his last with retirement on the horizon.
"I just want to soak it in, enjoy it. I haven't decided,” he said. “I'll be making some kind of decision this year, but there is a high chance this will be my last time, so I'm gonna try to enjoy it as best I can.
“At the same time, I'm here to do a job, and I'm gonna want to contribute to the team and get the win in doubles."
Canada and Hungary are meeting for the first time in Davis Cup action.
The winner of the two-day tie will advance to the second round of qualifiers in September. The losing team will be relegated to the World Group 1 level.
Canada has lost in the quarterfinals the last two years and won nine of its last 10 home ties.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 31, 2025.
Daniel Rainbird, The Canadian Press