Only a few minutes into his recovery process after an off-day practice that went about an hour over on an outside court at Sobeys Stadium, Alexis Galarneau nearly stopped pedaling on the exercise bike during cooldown to find the right words for what had happened late the night before.
Was it a thrill? Did it offer validation? Perhaps provide a newfound confidence?
After all, it was under the lights on Monday that Galarneau had a long-awaited triumph: his first career win on the ATP Tour, and in a Masters 1000 no less, with a straight-sets victory over Arthur Rinderknech in his first-round match at the National Bank Open presented by Rogers. A pro career that had begun four years earlier, mainly navigating through the ATP Challenger Tour and the grind of building a ranking, got its long-overdue payoff.
So the next afternoon, looking back on it, Galarneau wiped his brow with a towel on the bike and finally just blurted, “Relief. Last night was a lot of relief, man.”
It’s a year that’s taken him from Oeiras, Portugal to Manama, Bahrain, then Pune, India and so many obscure tennis outposts in the quest to reach Monday night’s moment. Through much of the spring, Galarneau’s right wrist had been a bother and hadn’t really allowed him to take the next steps. Just reaching the main draw of a tour event or Grand Slam had eluded him. Since late April, his ranking was around the 200 mark.
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And so on Monday in Toronto, finally healthy, there were nerves when Galarneau came on Centre Court for the final match of the evening session. Conditions were a bit different than what he’d been used to the last few weeks and early on, he was sizing up Rinderknech and adjusting to the Frenchman’s style. But then came a break in the first, and after taking the opening set tiebreak, Galarneau was able to get into a rhythm. From there, the serve that Galarneau and his coach, Quentin Guichard, have spent so much of the season working on, really came to life.
Galarneau dropped only four points on serve in the second set until it was time to serve for the match, and for the first time all night, a bit of a wobble. Galarneau found himself facing one break point – he blasted an ace to get out of that jam – and then maneuvered his way out of the second break-point chance Rinderknech had.
“For me at that point, it was about taking care of my serve and from there, kind of just be solid from the back,” Galarneau explained. “I really wanted to lock in and not (attempt) crazy, crazy shots.”
The lessons learned from past defeats. A less-is-more mindset. In prior matches, Galarneau would have been far too aggressive in those spots, with it all hanging in the balance. Not this time.
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“Sometimes you can also kind of let your opponent… beat himself, especially with my game style,” said Galarneau. “I'm not someone who's got the biggest weapon, so it was about locking in, playing big targets and not (making) the wrong decision.”
Far from it.
When his well-struck backhand overpowered Rinderknech on match point, Galarneau fist-pumped three times in the direction of his packed player box and then let out a primal roar. The dam had broken, at last. The milestone maiden tour win, achieved.
“I keep saying relief. Relief for me, for my family, just everyone that's there for me, day in, day out. It's nice to share this moment with them,” Galarneau said. “This one feels, you know, extra good, and also fuels me for this next round coming up.”
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The task is a tall one on Wednesday. Flavio Cobolli, the World No. 17 awaits. And Team Galarneau will be right there for it. Alexis is the youngest of four siblings and the other three are here. His two brothers, Felix and Max-Olivier, shared the front row with sister, Emilie-Anne. Physiotherapist, Virginie Guérard-Bigras, watched alongside, flanked by Guichard and Davis Cup captain, Frank Dancevic. Daniel Nestor has kept a watchful eye, too. You know it’s a big deal when Nestor cracks a smile, which he did from that player box after Galarneau’s win.
“The biggest thing is just who I was surrounded by during this whole journey, who's been there from the start, and who has come and go,” said Galarneau. “It's pretty special. They’ve all made this journey so far just way more enjoyable.”
The ATP's best return to Toronto this summer for the National Bank Open presented by Rogers July 26 to Aug. 7, 2025 at Sobeys Stadium. 2025 Tickets are on sale. Get your tickets today!
Feature Photo : Barry McCluskey
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