‘S-HERTOGENBOSCH/WASHINGTON, June 15, 2025 (by Michael Dickens)

Sunday’s Libema Open final on Dutch grass was the second time that Zizou Bergs and Gabriel Diallo have met this year following their previous meeting on clay in Madrid. While it may be too soon to consider this to be an eye-catching rivalry between the Belgian and Canadian competitors – it’s the second time that the 55th-ranked Diallo has prevailed – it nevertheless made for an entertaining title match between a couple of rising stars and good friends.

The 23-year-old from Montreal, who had already guaranteed a Top-50 debut on Monday by reaching the semifinal round in Den Bosch, made the most of his spotlight in this ATP 250 grass-court tune-up for Wimbledon later this month. Diallo defeated the 26-year-old Bergs, 7-5, 7-6 (8), in one hour and 58 minutes at Autotron Rosmalen to win his first ATP Tour title and cap an undefeated week in the capital city of North Brabant province. He was the first Canadian finalist in ‘s-Hertogenbosch tournament history – and, by winning, became the seventh first-time titlist this year on the ATP Tour.

This is what it means

The moment Diallo clinched his first ATP Tour title.@LibemaOpen | #LibemaOpen pic.twitter.com/ubL9U0wTIS

— ATP Tour (@atptour) June 15, 2025

The 6-foot-8-inch Diallo won the title of this ATP 250-series event on his second championship point after he capped a spirited, back-and-forth 18-shot rally with a cross-court backhand winner. Diallo finished with 26 winners – including nine aces – and won 76 percent of his first-serve points. He  saved both break points he faced, converted his only break point opportunity against the 63rd-ranked Bergs, and outpointed his opponent 84-74.

During a brief court-side interview before the trophy ceremony, Diallo was asked to describe the feeling of winning his first ATP Tour title. He said: “I don’t have the words. It’s something you dream of for your whole life, since you were a kid to get an ATP title. To be able to do it here after losing a final last year means the world to me. I’m very happy, not only for myself but for my whole team.”

Bergs, who was attempting to become the first Belgian man to win an ATP Tour grass-court title – and to give Belgium a sweep of the weekend’s singles titles after Elise Mertens won the women’s Libema Open title earlier in the day – took his defeat in stride. During the trophy ceremony, he said: “Gabriel, man, why today! Why did you have to play so good? Congratulations to you, you’re a great guy. I really mean that! I’m really happy for you and your team.”

DIALLO’S DAY

Gabriel Diallo claims his first ATP Tour title in with a 7-5 7-6 win over Bergs!#LibemaOpen pic.twitter.com/mwn69R1VnV

— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) June 15, 2025

En route to his first ATP Tour crown, Diallo beat a trio of seeded players, including No. 6 seed Jordan Thompson of Australia in the second round, No. 3 seed Karen Khachanov of Russia in the quarterfinals and No. 2 seed Ugo Humbert of France in the semifinals. In stringing together a quartet of victories, Diallo dropped just one set. He will move up to No. 44 when the PIF ATP Rankings are updated Monday.

Bergs, who had advanced to the final after fighting past big-serving American Reilly Opelka, will improve 14 spots to No. 49. It was the second title final for both, and Bergs revealed during his trophy speech that he and Diallo will team up in doubles at Wimbledon.

GABRIEL DIALLO’S FIRST ATP TITLE!#libemaopen #LO2025 #ATP250 #tennis pic.twitter.com/YKTKDSingS

— Libéma Open (@LibemaOpen) June 15, 2025

Ebden and Thompson win first ATP doubles title as a team

On Saturday, No. 3 seeds Matthew Ebden and Jordan Thompson of Australia defeated No. 2 seeds Julian Cash and Lloyd Glasspool of Great Britain, 6-4, 3-6, 10-7, in one hour and 14 minutes, to win the Libema Open doubles title. It was their first ATP Tour title together.

Congratulations, champs!
ATP Doubles Champions at Libéma Open 2025 #libemaopen #LO2025 #ATP250 #tennis pic.twitter.com/cAjIb8VdKk

— Libéma Open (@LibemaOpen) June 14, 2025

The Aussie team improved to 5-0 after first teaming in last year’s Davis Cup Finals quarterfinals to defeat Tommy Paul and Ben Shelton of the United States. This was their first ATP Tour-level event as a team. It was Thompson’s eighth tour-level doubles crown, while it was the 13th for Ebden and his first since he won the gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics with John Peers.

“It’s awesome,” Ebden said, quoted by the ATP Tour website. “Especially playing out there with a fellow Aussie. We’ve shared a lot together over the years, and in Davis Cup particularly. To bring that on the Tour and make a great start here with a title, we couldn’t ask for more.”

By the numbers

Gabriel Diallo became the fourth Canadian to win an ATP Tour title this century after Milos Raonic (8), Felix Auger-Aliassime (7) and Denis Shapovalov (3), and the second Canadian man in the Open Era to win a tour-level title on grass after Greg Rusedski won Newport in 1993 Newport (before switching allegiance to Great Britain in 1995).

“Quotable …”

“Playing with Matt, we gel well together. We play Davis Cup together, so it’s enjoyable to play with each other. Hopefully, it’s building for next week at Queen’s.”

– Jordan Thompson of Australia, as quoted by the ATP Tour website, after he and Matthew Ebden teamed to win the Libema Open doubles title on Saturday.