Diallo, Canada ready for key Davis Cup tie against Israel in empty Halifax venue

By Canadian Press on September 11, 2025.

HALIFAX — Gabriel Diallo says playing in an empty venue won’t change much for him as he leads Canada into a Davis Cup tie against Israel.

Diallo says the Canadian men’s tennis team will leave everything on the court regardless of the environment this week in Halifax as it seeks to advance to the 2026 Davis Cup Qualifiers.

The tie, which takes place Friday and Saturday at Scotiabank Centre, will be played without fans and media present.

That decision was made earlier this week because of what Tennis Canada called “escalating safety concerns” flagged by local authorities and national security agencies.

Activists from several groups say they are planning to protest the matches over Israel’s actions in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank in the war with Hamas.

Halifax activists are calling on the CBC to cancel its planned livestream of the tie.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 11, 2025.

The Canadian Press