DAVIS CUP FINALS

September 17, 2022

Gabriel Diallo

Team Canada

Press Conference

L. DJERE/G. Diallo

6-2, 6-2

Serbia - 1

Canada - 0

THE MODERATOR: We will start with English questions, and after we will change into French questions. Questions.

Q. Davis Cup debut. Obviously not the result you wanted, but what do you take from this experience in representing Canada?

GABRIEL DIALLO: I mean, first of all, it was just an honor to get selected by my country. Like I said before, it's something I have been dreaming about since I was a little kid.

Being here, I'm super grateful for that. For them to trust me and put me in the match also means a lot. Obviously it's not the result that I wanted, but I'm going to try and learn as much as possible.

It was great atmosphere. It was fun to play. Move on and hopefully it can be the first of many more.

Q. When did you find out that you were playing? Obviously Canada played very late into the night last night, so what was the decision? First thing this morning?

GABRIEL DIALLO: No, it was last night around I think 1:00 a.m., 1:30 a.m. Super happy with the win against Spain here, and to get the news. I was so, so happy, took me a minute to go to sleep.

But, yeah...

Q. Regarding the match, obviously there is a big difference in ranking, but what specifically...

GABRIEL DIALLO: I think that at this level it's really important to have a good serve, but to be able to place it well. I think that today I didn't serve bad, I was just not placing my serve well, and he had a look on every single of my service games. I had to work so hard just to get holds.

But the rest, you know, got hits really good, good ball. He hits deep, he can move. He's a really smart player. He's really experienced.

I don't know how old he is, but he's much more older and more experienced than me. It showed today. Yeah, I think, like I said, I think the serve would be the biggest part that I took away from the match.

Q. How do you reflect on this whole week and what the atmosphere has been like in the team?

GABRIEL DIALLO: I mean, the atmosphere on the team was just amazing. I don't know if you guys saw us on the bench, me and my teammates. Alex was trying to get the boys fired up and bringing a little bit of that college atmosphere into the Davis Cup.

I mean, just being here created so many memories. I'm going to remember for the many years to come, and, yeah, just build from that and try to get better and trying to work on the things I need to do to make it to the next level.

Q. Congrats for your Davis Cup debut. Looking ahead, how will this experience boost your career?

GABRIEL DIALLO: I mean, it's going to help me, obviously. Even though it wasn't the result that I wanted, it's going to help me.

I learned so much, how to manage emotions, big crowds, really good players, all of those factors. I think it's just gonna make me better, and I just have to keep my head down and work 20 times harder and see from there.