AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 13, 2025

Diana Shnaider

Press Conference

D. SHNAIDER/E. Cocciaretto

7-6, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Congratulations. Through to the second round. How do you feel after that?

DIANA SHNAIDER: Well, tough match but very happy with the way it ended my way. So wasn't the best performance, but as I said, the first round is the toughest.

Yeah, happy I overcame it.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Start of a new season after what was obviously an outstanding season for you. I know last year you were focused on just playing week by week, not getting caught up in it. With a little bit of time to breathe after the season, how do you reflect on last year, and how do you approach the follow-up year?

DIANA SHNAIDER: Well, last year was awesome. There was a lot of milestones that I achieved in one season. So it's been great.

For this year, well, for me I hope it's going to be even better, but yeah, we'll try not to push too much on myself, not too many expectations. Yeah, just trying to improve my level mentally and physically, just day by day getting better.

Q. What's your biggest focus in terms of what you need to stay focused on in order to achieve what you want to achieve in your head this year?

DIANA SHNAIDER: I feel like, for sure, self-confidence, it's one of the things that I need to work, because sometimes I'm just a little bit harsh on myself.

Yeah, and it's definitely not a good thing when you're playing on a court against some great players. Yeah, one of the things I want to work this year.

Q. Quite unusual at the moment being so young and being ranked so high. I think Mirra is the only teenager in the top 100. What made you want to start quite early, and why do you think you have been able to get the results so early?

DIANA SHNAIDER: I don't think I started too early. I mean, I played juniors till my last year.

Me and my parents never rushed to go, like, on professional tour, because it's completely different story. Well, it's different players, so you need to be a little bit more careful of that transition.

But, yeah, it turned out good. I mean, just, you know, naturally, but yeah, we weren't thinking it's going to be that quick. Myself, I wasn't thinking at all.

Q. Why do you think there are fewer players who kind of are seeming to break out really, compared to, say, ten years ago?

DIANA SHNAIDER: I don't know. I feel like the hardest part not to break through but just to stay in that level, because I think there is a lot of players who made 100 or top 20, and then in the year or two, they drop out of it.

So I feel like my goal, and I believe Mirra's goal, too, just to stay in that level and getting slowly better and better, because for now we are already on the top. So I feel like the main goal is not to drop out and stay consistent on that level.

Q. Sounds like you were pretty conscious then of the kind of pitfalls there are for young players. Sounds like you went in with your eyes open you might need to take it slow and let's not rush?

DIANA SHNAIDER: Yeah, well, my parents always told me you're going to play professional tour for your whole life in front of you, and then you can play juniors until you're going to turn 18.

So, yes, it's limited, and from the professional tour, if you stay healthy and fit, you can play how much you want (smiling).

Q. Like mid-30s?

DIANA SHNAIDER: Yeah, true.

Q. On the topic of kind of juniors, we swoop in when you guys are pros, so whatever happens kind of before that is a little bit sometimes a mystery to the pro-level stuff. What is the toughest decision that you and your family have to make on the junior level?

DIANA SHNAIDER: Well, I feel like there was a lot of moments. My family didn't have a lot of money, so my tournaments was very limited. So I couldn't go in some year of tournaments, so I started when I was 12 going to Belarus or Latvia, which was, like, closer to Russia. We would go by car or something. So it was, like, one tournament a month.

I was very, like, focussed that I need to do better, like, this tournament right now. So, I mean, it's pressure, but it's, like, I feel like that's why now I'm better to dealing with that, because I have a lot of tournaments.

But, yeah, and I feel like the second-hardest decision I made myself, committing to college, because I feel like my parents told me that this is your decision, and you need to make it your own, so you need to think about it and just made it, because we are not gonna make you go or not to go.

Q. The decision to go to college being yours, how do you turn away from turning pro immediately? That seems like such a tempting opportunity for you.

DIANA SHNAIDER: Yeah, it was very tough. My mom wanted me to go to kind of a little bit chill, see how it will be in a college. Just practice and take it easy.

My dad, like, he always believe in me. He's, like, No, she doesn't need to go, she's going to be pro, blah, blah, blah. I was, like, What do I need to do? I was calling my mom. She's like, You need to go. I called my dad. No, you don't need to go. I was, like... Then the last call, my Dad, he's, like, You are 18, so make your decision, and this is your choice.

So I was, like, okay, one week later, I'm like I'm committing to college, I'm going. Then it just turn out so good, and literally month later my dad is calling me, You made the right choice.

Q. I was talking to Mirra about what she eats and how she feels during matches. She has some whacky superstitions she said. What do you do for your meals before and during matches? Do you eat the same thing or do you vary it up?

DIANA SHNAIDER: Well, with food, I don't know, if I find something that I do enjoy, like, I will stick to that. But not, like, in crazy terms.

Yeah, I feel like I just have my own routine, like, just get ready the clothes, before the matches, like, the night before, so I'm not going to rush in the morning, especially if it's, like, a morning match.

Yeah, I feel like small things, I think all the players do have that. No, I'm not making my family wear the same clothes during the week (laughter).

Q. What meal do you like?

DIANA SHNAIDER: Well, here, the new thing, they have ramen on the fourth floor. I love eating soup for lunch. Days I'm eating that for lunch and then in the evening just whatever comes to my month.

Q. Are you superstitious about your bandanas?

DIANA SHNAIDER: I feel like I was, but it's getting better. This one, I never wear it on any tournament, so this is the first one, so we're getting there, trying some new outfits, but I feel like it was very cool. I mean, red dress, red bandana, I feel like it fit perfectly.

Q. Where do you get your bandanas?

DIANA SHNAIDER: We are just buying the material and just like the lady, she just sews them.

Q. Which lady?

DIANA SHNAIDER: Just random lady in Russia. (Laughter.)

Q. But you pick out the fabrics yourself?

DIANA SHNAIDER: Yeah, actually, it's very hard, find material with white dots. It's hard. Sometimes we are just ordering online, but sometimes you cannot touch is so you don't know, is it, like, the right material? It's a little bit also tricky.

Q. Always white dots?

DIANA SHNAIDER: Yeah.