ROLAND GARROS

June 4, 2026

Diana Shnaider

Press Conference

M. CHWALINSKA/D. Shnaider

7-6, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Diana, obviously a tough one today, but it was very hard-fought match. You have obviously reached some great new ground here at Roland Garros this year. Talk about the match today but also the tournament as a whole.

DIANA SHNAIDER: Yeah, definitely great two weeks. Very proud of myself, what I achieved here. Obviously a lot of new things, new goals.

Overall, yeah, the match was very tough. All the kudos to Maja. She played an amazing -- I feel like both of us played some really good tennis. Very hard battle.

I tried my best, and I tried different things. Yeah, I left it all out there. Proud of the way I played, the way I fought.

I mean, she played unreal, and she definitely deserved this win today and to be in the final.

THE MODERATOR: Questions in English.

Q. You said she played unreal today. What sort of challenges does she provide as an opponent? Because she has a very different-looking game to most players.

DIANA SHNAIDER: Well, first of all, she moves incredible on the court. She covers a lot. She reads the game very well. Even if you think that you won the point, she's there.

She's returning that ball, but not just, like, returning where you can attack, but she's returning it very uncomfortable for you, so you need to start, like, the whole point literally from the beginning, building it up again.

A lot of variety, a lot of spin. You know, with a lefty forehand, there is spin. And with the backhand, there is a lot of slices. There is a low ball coming, and then obviously the dropshots worked very well. She's coming into the net, covers it very well.

So, yeah, I feel like her game style very suits the clay courts. Yeah, she played very well. Covers it, and then, like, she can kind of, even if you, like, attacking her, she can switch the point, and then all of a sudden, she's not defending but in attack.

Q. Like you said, she played so many different styles and a very creative game. It was an obviously close two-set match. Curious the challenge of playing someone who has this much different rhythm and if it makes it tougher that there's so little video of her out there. Most players haven't played her. There is not a lot of coaching experience for anyone who really has a lot of, you know, knowledge and history and tactics about how to play this pretty new person on this level.

DIANA SHNAIDER: No, for sure, we haven't found any match with her playing against lefty, so it was definitely, we just gotta figure out, you know, just going on court.

But, yeah, very long rallies, very tough match. I mean, two sets, more than two hours. I feel like it was very competitive tennis. I feel like there was a lot of highlights.

Yeah, definitely a good game. Obviously tough loss. Of course I'm upset, not with performance, but just the outcome of it. But just happy the way I played, the way I fought, the way there was, like, a lot of great points.

I feel like people enjoyed watching, so that's great.

Q. Firstly, before this tournament, how much did you know about her? Secondly, you have obviously in a space of a couple days, you've beaten the World No. 1, including a bagel set. Today you lost to a player outside the top 100 but who looked like a world beater. From the outside, do we sometimes underestimate just how great that kind of strength of depth is in the sport?

DIANA SHNAIDER: I knew Maja. We played once on 60K in 2022, I think, I believe. But even then, she played similar game style. She didn't, like, all of a sudden switch it up.

She's a very tough opponent, especially on clay, where you need to grind, you need to rally. That's what she's doing, like, so good.

Yeah, for sure I feel like sometimes people underestimate just with the ranking and, like, with a lot of outside, you know...

I saw first round beating Qinwen and all of the good matches, beating Mertens and Sakkari. So it's, like, yeah, this girl is definitely feeling well here.

Again, I feel like one tournament can definitely, you know, change your life, change your career completely. So I feel like she just feeling super well here, uber confident. She's playing some great tennis, and I feel like she's now on fire and in such a momentum.

Yeah, definitely a very tough opponent to have, and it doesn't matter about her ranking.

Q. Well done in the entire tournament. When Mirra was here at press earlier, she was explaining that after Rome you guys were talking about your excitement for Paris, and she said you were not really excited about the clay courts here. Curious, now with the run being complete, have you found an appreciation for the clay courts here in Paris?

DIANA SHNAIDER: Yeah, it was funny because we were, like, talking about, like, clay courts, and I was, like, Yeah, I love Rome courts, the bounce is a little lower, because obviously I'm not as tall.

So for me, sometimes's hard, like, the bounces in Madrid, they are too high. Here it's also a high bounce. I was, like, Yeah, I prefer Rome, and then the French Open is going to be tough, it's a lot of high bounces.

She's, like, No, you're going to be fine. You know, every time you hate the tournament, it turns out that you're playing good.

I was, like, Well, we'll see.

She's like, No, no, no, I'm telling you.

I guess she was right (laughter).

Q. You do a very good Mirra impression, by the way. Sounded just like her (laughter). Do you think the next time you play someone with kind of a more unconventional game style, you'll approach it differently? And how might you think are ways that you could combat something like that? Because I imagine there will be more players who will play that style moving forward.

DIANA SHNAIDER: Yes, for sure. Obviously it also depends on surface and the circumstances. For sure, we had the little chat already with coach. Obviously a great match overall.

I feel like what I could have done more is just coming in more, being a little more brave and more aggressive, because, like, I was being aggressive from the baseline, but then I couldn't really finish the point, because she's just so good moving and covering the court around.

So I would do either a mistake, because I was trying to go for more, to be more aggressive, or for a dropshot. But again, she would cover literally the whole court, so it would also make no sense.

Yeah, definitely one of the things that I could have done is just being aggressive and then just coming into the net and trying to finish the point at the net.

Q. Congratulations on your tournament. Just one more about Mirra. I know you're obviously really good friends. When she was in here earlier, she said she's never played her before, didn't know much about her game. I wonder if you would give her any tips about what to expect for Saturday?

DIANA SHNAIDER: Oh, of course, yeah. I would love to. I mean, if she would ask me, because I don't want to interfere. Maybe they already saw. Maybe they watched the match. Maybe they already have a plan with Conchita.

For sure, if she's gonna ask me, I'm going to give you my review, my honest review after the match and hope that's gonna help, but yeah.

Q. Can I ask you what the tips would be?

DIANA SHNAIDER: Well, honestly, I feel like she would need to come into the net, and I feel like Mirra done it so much better recently.

I saw her matches. She's feeling confidence coming into the net. Obviously her serve is huge, so I feel like for her, it's gonna be an important point just to keep her serve and, yeah, just be brave in coming to the net.