A blend of skill, strategy, and mental fortitude is the cornerstone of championship tennis. Diana Shnaider’s journey, shaped by both collegiate and professional experiences, reflects this ideal. The young Russian is making waves on the WTA Tour, including a strong Olympic debut, but her foundation was laid during her time at NC State. As she now competes for a title in Canada, the lessons learned in college undoubtedly play a crucial role in her success. The visual representation of the same was seen in her showdown against Coco Gauff.

Shanider earned first Top 10 victory after pulling off a major upset, defeating top-seeded Gauff in straight sets, 6-4, 6-3, to advance to the quarterfinals of the Canadian Open. The match lasted just 70 minutes. Shnaider, who is playing in her first WTA Masters round of 16, broke Gauff in the final game of the first set and capitalized on her opponent’s errors in the second to secure the victory. Gauff struggled with unforced errors, totaling 42 in the match, and was unable to recover from an early break in the second set.

It was indeed a big victory for the Olympic silver medalist, who entered Toronto after a massive successes in Thailand, Bad Homburg and Budapest this year. Therefore, the question on everyone’s lips is: What is the secret to her triumphs?

In a post-match conference, Shnaider was quizzed, “I was curious what you made of that college experience because a lot of players who go through that system talk about the match toughness, the grit that they have. What are some of your takeaways from, I guess, competing, yes, on your own, but also you’re competing with a team at the same time?” And that is when Shnaider revealed how she attributes her success in the sport to the mental toughness that she learned while playing for her team in college.

“It gives you some good pressure when you have a team, fighting for the team. But also at the same time you’re fighting for yourself to kind of give the team a point. I feel like now when I’m playing for myself in these tough moments with the pressure, it definitely reminds me how I was handling that pressure while I was in college playing for the team, because it’s a little bit more pressure,” Shnaider responded.

Shnaider is “glad,” that she made the decision to play for her college and opened up about how it was “very exciting.” She further acknowledged the support that she received “from the USA, from college,” and her teammates and coaches.

In 2022, Shnaider moved to the U.S. from Moscow (her birthplace) and started playing for the North Carolina State Wolfpack. Last year, Shnaider even helped propel the team to win the ACC tournament and later on to reach the 2023 NCA Championships as well! However, in May, the Russian player turned pro and started playing on the WTA tour. But, she didn’t forget the valuable technicalities that she learned during her college years.

Last year, she said, “I improved a lot in college. I know how to play those tricky points under pressure, where you don’t think. You automatically know where to go. I learned how to play more aggressively, how to volley better, how to play a doubles match properly, and how to keep up my energy.” And now, according to her, all those experiences are “coming together,” as she hopes to achieve more milestones this year.

Shnaider reflects on her latest victory at the Canadian Open and the next “milestone”

Last year, during August, Shnaider was 87th in the world ranking. Fast-forward to the present and she has claimed her first three titles on tour. As a result, her ranking has gone up to No. 24. After her victory over Gauff, she said, “I think my first top-5 win is like one of the milestones. I had a few matches that I lost in three sets, but they were close, so it was very important for me today.”

Speaking about her recent success, she further added, “I think it’s all coming just from a bit of experience. I missed a couple of high-level tournaments last year because I was in college, but this year I’m playing a full year in a professional tour…I think for sure it’s, as I said, like a puzzle, it’s coming all together, and then you actually will not notice it, but then it clicks and you’re just like, Okay, I’m here and we can go for more.”

Diana Shnaider’s college experience has proven instrumental in shaping her into the talented tennis player she is today. As she continues to rise through the ranks, her college-honed skills will undoubtedly serve her well.