ROLAND GARROS

June 3, 2026

Diana Shnaider

Press Conference

D. SHNAIDER/A. Sabalenka

3-6, 7-5, 6-0

THE MODERATOR: Diana, congratulations. Into your very first Grand Slam semifinal with a great win over the World No. 1. Can you just put into words how happy you are to be in this position today?

DIANA SHNAIDER: Yeah, well, for sure, super happy. Overall I feel like I'm still in the process of the emotions and everything. You know, it was a tough match, and I'm just super happy and super proud of myself the way I handled the emotions and the conditions today and, yeah, just the fight that I put in and the work.

THE MODERATOR: Questions in English.

Q. You were way down in the score in this match, set and double break. What gave you belief that you could still be in it? What were the sort of signs that you saw as the score started changing that things were changing and your hope and belief and confidence were growing?

DIANA SHNAIDER: Yeah, I feel like, you know, obviously I understand that I'm playing World No. 1, Aryna, who is, like, super-aggressive tennis player. I was, like, the conditions are tough, and I wasn't putting too much pressure on myself.

I feel like at 5-3, I was on the opposite side from the coaches' boxes, I was playing against the wind, and then with Aryna putting pressure, I was, like, I gotta think of something different, because I was trying to go for, like, more variety, trying to put more spin, the slices. So it didn't work.

You know, 5-3, whatever, I have to change something up now. I feel like I kind of, like, just had the relief where I was, like, I gotta go for my shots, I have to be more aggressive, I got to step in, because she's, like, pushing me too much back and just winning those short rallies.

So I've got to be more aggressive. I gotta just do something different. And then I was starting to step in more on her second serve, putting more pressure, being more aggressive.

Then she got, like, just some couple unforced errors here and there. Yeah, so that momentum a little bit shifting towards my side.

Then I kind of believed more in myself, you know. Just winning second set, I was, like, Yay, she didn't lose a set here. So, I was like, Okay, I'm the first one, so that's great.

Then in the third set, no, I was, like, I already did good, I won second set. Yeah, I just tried to just keep my game same as in the end, just be more aggressive, go for a little easier shots, you know.

But at the same time, if I would see an opportunity where I gotta step in, I gotta use it, but be very focused because it was, again, super windy and tough.

Q. That was sensational. Sorry for jumping to another topic, but you will play tomorrow with Maja Chwalinska, our Polish sensational player. You won match in 2022. You played with Maja. What do you remember from that time, and what do you think about this player, so different from others?

DIANA SHNAIDER: Yeah, it's crazy. Of course I remember playing her. I even remember where was it. It was 60K in Istanbul. It was semifinal.

She's a very tricky player, so I'm not surprised that she's good. Sometimes, it just takes time. But, yeah, she's very tricky with the dropshots and slices. Obviously she's a lefty.

So it's gonna be a big switch for me for tomorrow's match. Happy for her. Yeah, I'm expecting a huge fight tomorrow. I feel like both of us is gonna be leaving it all out tomorrow with huge opportunity in front of us. So I feel like it's gonna be a great match.

Q. I just wondered how testing you found the conditions? Aryna struggled with them. How aware were you of her struggles in last year's final with the wind and whether you could exploit that?

DIANA SHNAIDER: Yeah, I was warming up with a closed roof. I didn't know that they're gonna open it up. They were starting open it, like, right when I was finishing already my warm-up. I was a little bit surprised with that decision.

But again, yeah, the conditions were very tough, was a lot of dirty shots, very unpredictable, a lot of wind, a lot of sand.

But I feel like I was a little annoyed more in the first set, but I just tried to keep reminding myself that it's same conditions for both of us. I gotta just admit it that it's tough, and I just need to figure out what I have to do, like, where the wind is going, what should I do from this side, what I should do from the opposite side?

Of course I knew the final, like, last year, I watched it. I knew that it was also super windy. So of course I had that thought in back of my mind that she was struggling with Coco last year. I was, like, Yeah, I gotta use this opportunity, I need to just adjust and do my best.

Q. It wasn't just the wind last year. Sabalenka said herself she really struggled to keep her composure, and you said you managed to keep yours. She said she's a very experienced player. She's No. 1 in the world. She must do better at dealing with this. Did you sense from the other side that, you know, she was affected by nerves and composure?

DIANA SHNAIDER: I mean, of course I saw some moments of her for frustration. I mean, I know Aryna, that she's very emotional person. Kind of, I am, too.

But I feel like this tournament what I'm doing pretty good is not letting, like, my negative emotions and thoughts to be in sort of way of me playing my best tennis. For sure, there was a lot of moments where I could be also super pissed at myself and super frustrated with everything what was happening.

But again, I feel like when I saw her being emotional, I was, like, Yes, like, you are in the right direction, you've got to stay, just focus on yourself, don't focus too much on her, what she's talking to her team or whatever what she's doing.

I was just trying to just only think about myself, what I have to do, and just go point by point.

Q. Did it affect you at all, or how did it affect you that you were playing her on clay rather than on a hard court where she's had huge success? Did that sort of buoy you in any sense in the same way that maybe seeing the wind and the conditions she had last year and dealing with that again did?

DIANA SHNAIDER: I mean, honestly, there was no clay left with the wind (smiling), like, not at all. So it was very hard to slide and everything.

I mean, for sure we know Aryna is a big hitter and is a hard court specialist. I definitely, you know, knew that I could move better on clay courts.

I was just trying to use it as an advantage today.

Q. Two days ago Aryna was asked about playing a lefty, and she said she loves playing a lefty, she loves the rhythm. I wonder if it's something that you knew or you think about, especially when you hit the forehand down the line, which was your money shot today. It worked completely well with the wind and everything. I wonder what goes through your mind with the shot?

DIANA SHNAIDER: I didn't know that she said it. Again, I'm not watching any press conference of other players. I didn't know that what she said. But for sure some players like more to play against righty or like to play more against lefty. Obviously depends on the player.

I mean, I was just trying to go for my shots, you know. I feel like I saw that she started to struggle a little bit with her forehand today. So if I saw an opportunity where I could go down the line, I love the shot, so I tried to go down the line.

But again, she start to miss a little bit with the forehand, and then she start to miss a little bit more with the backhand. So I just tried to be aggressive, not letting her to step in too much to go to the net, to come in, because she's doing so good coming to the net recently.

So, yeah, I feel like I just, you know, was focusing more on myself and what I have to do to make her miss.

Q. Was it difficult for you at all? As you mentioned, Aryna was going to her box, and you could see she was getting frustrated. Was it difficult for you, and how did you put that aside and just focus on yourself?

DIANA SHNAIDER: No, not at all. It wasn't difficult. I mean, all of us has, like, our moments where we go to the team, because we just need to let our steam off, and they totally understand.

It's no hard feelings, you know. It has nothing against the team. It's just we want to win so much, we want to show some good tennis, so sometimes it's just too many emotions.

Yeah, I feel like I was so focused just on myself today that I was just trying to really focus on what I have to do, like, and just go point, point, point, point. Because the conditions was tough, so I just gotta keep it focused so much to help myself.

Q. This is your first time you have been this deep in a tournament of this size in singles, but you have a lot of doubles experience going deep in these draws. I'm curious how much that helps you and how excited you might be to play your usual doubles partner potentially in a final?

DIANA SHNAIDER: Well, we gotta win tomorrow, so I'm not thinking too, too much about it. Obviously, we had, with Mirra, some deep runs here last year and then at Australian Open.

But for sure singles feels so much different from the doubles, because for sure in doubles you kind of share your success together. But here it's just, like, only you, it's only your success with your team. So it definitely kind of feels more special, especially for the first time.

So, yeah, I'm very happy with what's happening.

Q. I know Mirra has talked about how much fun she has playing doubles with you and how well you get on. Can you talk about your relationship, both when you play together and off the court?

DIANA SHNAIDER: Yeah, we are very good on and off the court. I feel like even if we play each other in singles, we're super good. Just, you know, like, yes, we have a good relationship off the court, but if we are playing, both of us wants to win. There is nothing against it. We just want to win.

Then, like, the relationship off the court is off the court. I feel like it's more about being respectful towards each other on the court, and that's it.

Q. When you're playing doubles together, you like to have a laugh, make each other laugh?

DIANA SHNAIDER: Yeah, of course. We enjoying so much playing doubles together. I feel like it's very easy for us. We have kind of same mentality. We like to joke around, to be little, like, messy and childish at some point.

Yeah, it's super nice, super natural. Yeah, looking forward to play some more doubles together.