Canadian tennis player Gabriel Diallo has pulled out of the upcoming Davis Cup match against France due to a leg injury, as confirmed by Tennis Canada on Monday. Diallo sustained the injury during the National Bank Open in Montreal last month and will be replaced by Keegan Rice for the second-round qualifier set to commence on Friday at the Videotron Centre in Quebec City.
Expressing his disappointment, Diallo stated, “I’m of course disappointed and sad that I won’t be able to compete with the team in Quebec City. The Davis Cup means so much to me, and it’s one of the events I look forward to most each year. While I continue to rehab my leg injury, I do plan to make my way to Quebec City to cheer on the team. I hope the fans will be ready to support us as loudly as possible and help us get back to the finals.”
Canada, currently ranked twelfth in the Davis Cup, emerged victorious in 2022, while the sixth-ranked France last clinched the title in 2017. The winning team in the upcoming best-of-five tie will secure a spot in the Davis Cup Final 8 scheduled for November, with the losing side dropping to the 2027 first-round qualifier.
Gabriel Diallo holds the 125th position in the latest ATP Tour world rankings. On the other hand, Keegan Rice, who previously secured the NCAA national championship with the University of Virginia, made his ATP 1000 debut in Montreal as a qualifier. Canada’s lineup also features fifth-ranked Felix Auger-Aliassime from Montreal, Liam Draxl ranked 205th from Newmarket, Ont., and Duncan Chan, holding the 254th position in doubles from Markham, Ont.
The Davis Cup match will witness two singles matches and one doubles match on Friday, with the possibility of two additional singles matches on Saturday if required. Notably, the French team has undergone some roster changes since its initial announcement last month. World No. 11 Arthur Fils has withdrawn from the team, while No. 42 Luca Van Assche and No. 92 Benjamin Bonzi have been included in the lineup alongside Arthur Rinderknech (No. 32), Quentin Halys (No. 49), and Pierre-Hugues Herbert (No. 29 in doubles).
Canada advanced to the current round after narrowly defeating Brazil 3-2 in the first round of qualifiers last February, while France secured its spot by triumphing over Slovakia with a 3-1 victory.
