Monday Digest: Diallo Riding the Wave in Madrid
According to a report from Tennis Canada, Gabriel Diallo has had an impressive run at the Masters 1000 events in 2025, with Indian Wells, Miami, and now Madrid all yielding positive results for the Canadian.
Diallo has taken full advantage of his second chances, and at the Madrid Open, he has an opportunity to break new ground at a big event. With his two wins last week, he actually has the most singles match wins on clay by a Canadian in 2025, as Tennis Canada reports.
As noted by Tennis Canada, Gabriel Diallo took the term “lucky loser” to another level this past week at the Madrid Open. For the third time in four Masters 1000 events this year, the Montrealer got into the main draw as a lucky loser after having lost in the final round of qualifying. Just like Indian Wells and Miami, he took advantage and won his opening match, cruising past Zizou Bergs in straight sets.
Tennis Canada states that in Madrid, his luck did not end with just getting into the main draw. The spot in the draw where he landed should have earned him a round-two date in second seed Carlos Alcaraz, but the four-time major champion withdrew, meaning Diallo faced off with a fellow lucky loser, Kamil Majchrzak, who he beat in three sets to reach the third round of a Masters 1000 event for the first time in his career.
Denis Shapovalov joined Diallo in round three with a second-round win over Kei Nishikori, as reported by Tennis Canada. The Canadian No. 2 had a first-round bye.
Bianca Andreescu won her first match of 2025 in Madrid, defeating McCartney Kessler in the first round, according to Tennis Canada. The former US Open champion was competing in just her second tournament of the year. It was Andreescu’s first match win since October 2024.
Tennis Canada reports that she lost in the second round to world No. 11 Elena Rybakina.
Félix Auger-Aliassime and Leylah Annie Fernandez were both unable to pick up their first match wins of the year on clay in Madrid, losing their opening matches to Juan Manuel Cerundolo and Ann Li, respectively.
Fernandez and Gabriela Dabrowski were both playing doubles in the Spanish capital but each lost their opening match, as noted by Tennis Canada.
Diallo is looking to reach the fourth round at a “big” event (Masters 1000 or Grand Slam) for the first time in his career, with his next opponent being former Indian Wells champion Cameron Norrie. A win would set up a clash with either Grigor Dimitrov or Jacob Fearnley.
Shapovalov will have his hands full in round three with sixth seed Alex de Minaur. The Aussie has won all four of their previous main tour meetings, although this will be their first clash on clay.
It has been nearly three years since Shapovalov last reached the round of sixteen at a big event. He was in round four of Wimbledon back in 2022 when he suffered the knee injury that set him back years. A month prior, he reached the quarter-finals of Rome, which was his last time past the third round of a Masters 1000 event.
The two Canadians could meet in the quarter-finals. Their half of the draw is fairly open, with No. 5 seed Jack Draper the highest-ranked potential semifinal opponent.
According to Tennis Canada, Canada had two close calls over the weekend on the lower tours, with both Liam Draxl and Kayla Cross reaching finals.
Draxl got to the title match in singles at the ATP Challenger Tour event in Savannah, Georgia, his tour-leading fourth Challenger final of the year. He lost to Nicolas Mejia of Colombia in a heartbreaker 6-2, 2-6, 7-6(2).
Cross reached the doubles final at the ITF W100 in Charlottesville, Virginia, with Aussie Petra Hule but they lost to Maria Kozyreva and Irina Shymanovich in two tight sets 7-5, 7-5.
The Canadian is playing at another ITF W100 in Bonita Springs, Florida, along with Carol Zhao and Katherine Sebov.
With the ATP main tour still consumed with Madrid this week, Félix Auger-Aliassime is looking to get some extra reps in ahead of the Italian Open. He accepted a wildcard to the ATP Challenger Tour event in Estoril, Portugal, this week, where he is the top seed.
Leylah Annie Fernandez and Bianca Andreescu also signed up for a lower-tour event, competing at the WTA 125 in Vic, Spain. Fernandez is the top seed but Andreescu lost in the first round on Monday to No. 4 seed Kimberly Birrell.
This week on Canadian soil, Quebec City is playing host to an ITF J100 event.
