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s Diallo continues to craft his tennis identity, he isn’t shy to enlist the help of fellow Canadians who’ve paved the path before him, including Raonic.

Diallo considers himself lucky to have shared the 2023 Davis Cup stage with Raonic, whose game he grew up admiring. And he hasn’t been shy to ask the 34-year-old questions along the way.

“I wanted to learn from him and I still do,” says Diallo. “He’s the best Canadian player we’ve ever had in singles, so it’s always an honour and a privilege to share the stage with him.”

Raonic, says Diallo, had “a huge impact on me.” He’s also always learning from other Canucks, like Felix Auger Aliassime and Denis Shapovalov, “all those guys, that kind of lead the way for me to try to become a pro and to be the player that I am today.”

Like his fellow Canadians, Diallo cherishes the opportunity to have home-court advantage at the National Bank Open.

“I have very fond memories of that tournament from watching it when I was younger, seeing Milos make the finals and Shapo making the semis, to also getting my first Tour-level win there two years ago,” he says. “This tournament holds a special place in my heart. It’s a tournament where I think all Canadians want to perform and do well. A lot of expectation, obviously, but that comes with it — it’s a privilege.

“And for my part, I’m gonna do everything I can to be ready and to peak at that tournament.”