Diana Maximovna Shnaider (Russian: Диа́на Макси́мовна Шна́йдер, pronounced[dʲɪˈanəmɐkˈsʲiməvəˈʂnaɪ̯dɛr]; born 2 April 2004) is a Russian professional tennis player.[3] She has career-high rankings of world No. 16 in singles, achieved on 16 September 2024 and No. 54 in doubles, set on 9 September 2024.
Shnaider was born in Zhigulevsk to father Maxim and mother Yulia. Her father is a lawyer and former boxer of German descent, while her mother is an English teacher. Her family later moved to Tolyatti.[5]
She began playing tennis at the age of four. At the age of eight, she began pursuing the sport seriously, training with coach Samvel Minasyan in Moscow.[5] In 2022, she moved to the United States and enrolled at North Carolina State University, where she played college tennis for the NC State Wolfpack.[6][7]
Shnaider's signature on-court look features a blue polka-dot bandana. She began wearing headscarves as a child to prevent sunburn, preferring them over caps and visors.[8][9]
On the ITF Junior Circuit, Shnaider had a career-high combined ranking of No. 3, achieved on 13 December 2021.
Grand Slam performance
Singles:
Australian Open: QF (2022)
French Open: SF (2021)
Wimbledon: 1R (2019, 2021)
US Open: SF (2022)
Doubles:
Australian Open: W (2022)
French Open: F (2020)
Wimbledon: W (2021)
US Open: W (2022)
Professional
2023: Major debut, WTA Tour final, top 60
Shnaider made her Grand Slam debut at the 2023 Australian Open, after qualifying into the main draw.[11] She defeated Kristína Kučová, who was using a protected ranking, for her first win at a major, before losing in the second round to sixth seed Maria Sakkari. As a result, she reached the top 100, at world No. 94, on 30 January 2023.
After the Australian Open, Shnaider played one season of college tennis for North Carolina State.[12] She went 20–3 in singles to help the Wolfpack win the ACC tournament and reach the 2023 NCAA Championships final.[13] She was named the ACC tournament's most valuable player and ACC Freshman of the Year and received first-team All-ACC and All-American honors in singles and doubles.[13]
2024: First WTA Tour title, Wimbledon 3rd round & top 20, Olympic silver in doubles
In Hua Hin, Thailand, she reached her fourth career quarterfinal, defeating top seed Magda Linette and Paula Badosa by retirement.[18] Next, she defeated qualifier Dalma Gálfi and third seed Wang Xinyu to reach her second career final. Shnaider then defeated second seed Zhu Lin in three sets to win her first ever WTA Tour title.[19] At the Miami Open, she lost in the second round to 17th seed Madison Keys, in a little over an hour.
Shnaider won her third title of the year at the Budapest Grand Prix, defeating Aliaksandra Sasnovich in straight sets in the final.[20][21] Subsequently, she moved up to a career-high singles ranking No. 18 on 19 August 2024.[22]
Performance timelines
Key
W
F
SF
QF
#R
RR
Q#
P#
DNQ
A
Z#
PO
G
S
B
NMS
NTI
P
NH
(W) winner; (F) finalist; (SF) semifinalist; (QF) quarterfinalist; (#R) rounds 4, 3, 2, 1; (RR) round-robin stage; (Q#) qualification round; (P#) preliminary round; (DNQ) did not qualify; (A) absent; (Z#) Davis/Fed Cup Zonal Group (with number indication) or (PO) play-off; (G) gold, (S) silver or (B) bronze Olympic/Paralympic medal; (NMS) not a Masters tournament; (NTI) not a Tier I tournament; (P) postponed; (NH) not held; (SR) strike rate (events won / competed); (W–L) win–loss record.
To avoid confusion and double counting, these charts are updated at the conclusion of a tournament or when the player's participation has ended.
^ abcdThe first Premier 5 event of the year has switched back and forth between the Dubai Tennis Championships and the Qatar Ladies Open since 2009. Dubai was classified as a Premier 5 event from 2009–2011 before being succeeded by Doha for the 2012–2014 period. In 2015, Dubai regained its Premier 5 status while Doha was demoted to Premier status. The Premier 5 tournaments were reclassified as WTA 1000 tournaments in 2021.