Gabriel Diallo Gears Up for Showdown with Alexander Zverev at Australian Open
Gabriel Diallo is preparing for the biggest test of his young career: a clash against World No. 3 Alexander Zverev at the Australian Open. While the 24-year-old hasn’t previously faced the German star, who has been a dominant force on the ATP Tour for years, Diallo is embracing the challenge with excitement and gratitude.
“I’m very grateful that I’m in this position to play in a Slam, on one of the biggest courts against one of the best players in the world. So it’s all a bonus,” Diallo shared with ATPTour.com. “We train hard and we work hard to position ourselves to play in those kind of matches. We start playing tennis to play those kind of matches. So I’m really excited and looking forward to playing.”
Zverev’s Consistent Excellence
Zverev reached the final at Melbourne Park last year, building on previous semi-final appearances. He’s proven remarkably consistent, rarely falling before the fourth round since 2019. Diallo acknowledges Zverev’s strengths.
“He’s very consistent. First of all, just from the back and in terms of a performance standpoint, he’s been in the Top 10 for I don’t know how many years. And then, obviously in terms of his game, he’s got a great serve, great backhand, solid forehand,” Diallo analyzed. “So I’m going to have to get creative. I’m going to have to take it to him if I want to give myself some chances to win. At the end of the day, I think for me it’s another match, it’s another learning experience.”
New Coaching Setup & Rising Momentum
Diallo is undergoing significant changes off the court as well. He’s recently split with longtime coach Martin Laurendeau and is now working with the Swedish duo of Jonas Bjorkman and Johan Ortegren.
“I’ve got the full Swedish delegation now,” Diallo joked. “I’m excited to see where that’s going to take me, and very grateful for the past five years I had with Marty. We had an amazing run since I was in college, all the way to now. Someone that will always stay very close to me and that has a special place in my heart.”
Bjorkman, a former World No. 4 and No. 1 in doubles, brings a wealth of experience to the team. “It’s been very good. He just came to Adelaide, so it was the first time I saw him there. But yeah, so far it’s been very good. Learning a lot,” Diallo said. “He has a lot of expertise and as a player, he was where I aspire to be. So just a great opportunity to learn from him and work with him and excited to see where it’s going to take me.”
From No. 86 to a Dangerous Unseeded Player
Diallo’s trajectory has been impressive. A year ago, he was ranked No. 86 and making his Australian Open main draw debut. Now, he’s a dangerous unseeded player, coming off a successful season that included a title in ‘s-Hertogenbosch and a Masters 1000 quarter-final in Madrid.
“The goal was to finish inside the Top 50, and I managed to accomplish that. I had some very good results. Won my first title, big quarters in the Masters,” Diallo stated. “So just [want to] keep building on this, carrying this momentum throughout 2026, keep improving. We flagged the things that I need to improve in order to make the next jump and the details and the margins are getting smaller and smaller, but those are the things that are going to make a big difference.”
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