The world of tennis is always on the lookout for new stars, and in the form of Diana Shnaider, it has found a gem. Her rise on the WTA Tour has been nothing short of remarkable. She backed up the win over Coco Gauff by defeating Liudmila Samsonova, to reach her first Masters semifinal. She always had the big shots but her ability to stay calm and play measured tennis at pressure points made the difference against Samsonova.
Shnaider was in the Olympics doubles final on clay on Sunday, followed by a transatlantic flight, leaving her with only about a day to train on hard courts before her first-round match in Toronto. In her first two matches, she narrowly made it through a final set tiebreak. The fantastic wins over Gauff and Samsonova followed suit.
Despite the number of matches she has played recently, there has been no visible dip in her energy levels – though that is perhaps that’s what a young player on a roll is capable of. She is playing with so much confidence right now, that trumped any tiredness. The win over Samsonova ensures her top 20 debut next week. She will be among other top Russian players such as Daria Kasatkina, Anna Kalinskaya and Samsonova. She is in that conversation now, from an up-and-coming player to being actually within the top group of players.
A Wonderful Breakthrough Year
Diana Shnaider’s progress this year has been fantastic, winning titles on three surfaces including a WTA 500 and getting that Olympic Silver Medal with a scratch pairing. In Hua Hin, she knocked out all the top 3 seeds. In Bad Homburg, she played at an unbelievable level. Her forehand and serve were on fire. The players she beat were all big names (Kerber, Yastremska, Badosa, Navarro and Vekic) to win her biggest title. She improved so much compared to the player she was who won in Hua Hin at the beginning of the year. In Budapest, she powered through five rounds dropping just one set.
She has built her confidence by winning matches in smaller events and moving up with the level of her wins. Apart from a few low points, such as her loss to Chloe Paquet at The French Open, she has improved her base level and shown admirable resilience in bouncing back when she has had some less good events. Winning two matches at Wimbledon was a step in the right direction. At the Paris Olympics, she and Mirra Andreeva were just having a lot of fun. So she certainly enjoys all the lessons she is learning this year and is an excellent student.
The 20-year-old is developing a reputation as a very consistent player. She has won the most matches out of any players since June. She can’t easily be overpowered and her forehand is a sledgehammer of a shot. Definitely one of the best forehands on tour at the moment. Shnaider has a tremendous depth of shots, which is a brilliant skill. If she can improve her movement a tad bit, she’ll be a serious contender for the Grand Slams. She has the mentality to do it as well.
Main photo credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
