“There are a lot of things I can improve and achieve to be a top 10 player” – Shnaider

The Russian ended the season at No 13 in the world rankings

Diana Shnaider, Wuhan 2024

December 2, 2024

Russian Diana Shnaider is in no rush to break into the top 10 after claiming four titles in 2024 and breaking into the top 15.

The 20-year-old, who rose from No 97 in January to No 13 at the end of the season, is aware that players on the tour are going to be a lot more familiar with her game in 2025.

“Next year, everyone will be getting ready, knowing my game, ‘Oh she’s tough,’ stuff like that. But it’s important for me to play against the best in the world,” Shnaider told Reuters in an interview.

“Even if there are a lot of losses, I’ll be as positive as possible, just keep building my game, my mentality, my physical strength. There are a lot of things I can improve and achieve to be a top 10 player. It’s not a rush, I’ll have to be patient. I’m so happy, so proud with the way I competed. It’s a dream to finish the season like this with my family by my side. I hope I can keep this up next season.”

It’s like a puzzle, it’s all coming together.

The left-hander, who partnered with Mirra Andreeva to win the doubles silver medal at the Paris Olympics, is looking forward to playing her first full calendar season on the tour in 2025.

“I missed a couple of high-level tournaments last year because I was in college,” she said. “This year I’m playing a full year on the professional tour … it’s like a puzzle, it’s all coming together. You’ll not notice it, but then it clicks and you’re like, ‘Okay, I’m here and we can go for more’.”