Canadian tennis stars Gabriel Diallo and Gabriela Dabrowski both delivered outstanding performances at the US Open, advancing to the next rounds in their respective competitions on Thursday.
Gabriela Dabrowski, from Ottawa, teamed up with New Zealand’s Erin Routliffe to begin their title defense in the women’s doubles in commanding fashion. The top-seeded duo defeated fellow Canadian Leylah Fernandez and Kazakhstan’s Yulia Putintseva 6-4, 6-2. Although Fernandez and Putintseva initially broke serve early in the match, Dabrowski and Routliffe responded strongly by winning four consecutive games, seizing control of the match and closing it out in just 71 minutes. The reigning champions will now face American Catherine Harrison and Poland’s Alicja Rosolska in the second round.
Dabrowski has been in stellar form this season, highlighted by her recent mixed doubles bronze medal at the Paris Olympics, where she partnered with fellow Canadian Félix Auger-Aliassime. As one of the top doubles players in the world, she remains a strong contender to retain her US Open crown with Routliffe.
On the men’s side, Montreal native Gabriel Diallo continued to impress in the singles competition. The 22-year-old qualifier scored a significant upset by defeating French 24th seed Arthur Fils in a hard-fought four-set match. Diallo triumphed 7-5, 6-7(3), 6-4, 6-4 in a grueling contest that lasted 3 hours and 29 minutes. Despite losing the second set in a tiebreak and trailing 3-2 in the third, Diallo showcased his resilience by winning four straight games to clinch the set and ultimately the match.
Ranked 143rd in the world, Diallo’s victory marks a significant milestone in his young career. He will next face 14th seed Tommy Paul of the United States in the third round. Paul advanced after his opponent, Australia’s Max Purcell, retired during their second-round encounter.
With Dabrowski and Diallo both advancing, Canadian tennis fans have plenty to cheer for as the US Open continues. Their performances demonstrate Canada’s growing presence on the global tennis stage, with both players poised for further success in New York. As the tournament progresses, the pressure will mount, but these two athletes have shown they are more than capable of rising to the occasion.
