Tennis is one of the few sports that allows athletes to choose their own uniforms. From skirts to shirts to catsuits, tennis players have freely explored outfit choices. If we look back to a few years ago, even headgear had a lot of options other than the classic tennis cap. Remember Andre Agassi and John McEnroe’s headbands? But even today, we have Diana Shnaider as a trendsetter, whose bandana and powerful lefty game have put her in a league of her own at the US Open right now.

With a dark base and white polka dots, a bandana can usually be found covering Shnaider’s head. The reason? Well, her parents were worried that her skin might not survive playing regularly under the sun. But where did the idea of a bandana as opposed to a hat come to Shnaider anyway? “My mom just went into a shop and randomly saw a bandana, and was like, ‘Oh okay, I got it! We’ll see how this feels.’ It’s covering my hair completely, and so I tried it and it felt comfortable,” the Russian player said to Baseline.

The random choice from her mom eventually evolved into custom-made headgear for Shnaider, who has been wearing it since her junior circuit days. Per WTA.com, Shnaider said, “I’m doing it all by myself. I’m buying the material and sending it to a woman to make the right size headscarf for my head.”

The usual caps and visors limited her visibility, which is not ideal for a pro player who needs to be able to keep an eye on the ball at all times. Now, the vintage style bandana is a fashion statement, and Shnaider keeps the collection from over the years handy.

But the young WTA player says, “I never thought about inspirations. My parents always said you need to find your own style, just like you need to find your own tennis game. You can watch to be inspired but for yourself, it needs to be your own.” Shnaider matches her bandana to whatever apparel sponsor Adidas has planned for her, but the iconic polka dots can usually be found on her head.

Her luckiest piece of headgear? “I feel like my luckiest bandana right now is the dark blue one. I feel like I won most of the tournaments in it,” Shnaider says.

Of course, this doesn’t mean she has not gone through hardships because of a different look either. Straying away from what is the usually accepted norm takes some amount of bravery. Just look at Serena Williams’ oft-criticized catsuits or Andre Agassi’s bold choices on the court. While tennis might allow more freedom than others, it’s not without its hardships. Shnaider was initially so skeptical of her choice that she contemplated giving it up once.

Diana Shnaider almost gave up on the idea of the bandana

Social media and the online world tend to be unkind to anyone who dares to stand out. And Diana Shnaider knew it only too well. “I had a moment in my teenage years where I was thinking to stop playing in it because I was feeling a bit anxious about people saying weird stuff,” the 20-year-old admitted. “(I felt like) all people were looking at me and I didn’t feel comfortable. But my parents just made me wear it.”

But as with all good things, it takes time for acceptance to come. “Now I’m very pleased that they made me do it, because actually now I feel much more comfortable playing in it,” Shnaider said. “Day by day (in Toronto and in Cincy), there was more people cheering for me and people who started following me.”

The Russian has been on a warpath this season. From defeating Coco Gauff to Sara Errani, the World No. 18 has catapulted to stardom on all three surfaces. Now she gets ready to fight home favorite Jessica Pegula in her classic look. Who will prevail? Only time will tell!