Experience is a trump card in tennis, but sometimes, nothing beats raw talent. Take the example of Diana Shnaider, who suddenly burst onto the scene in 2024 and already has three titles in her pocket. Hua Hin could be considered a fluke. But then came Bad Homburg, then the Hungarian Open, and most recently a silver medal in Olympics doubles with compatriot Mirra Andreeva, another so-called prodigy. Is it the Russian’s year? Or is an American raining on her parade?

After returning from Paris, Shnaider has quickly switched to hard courts from clay as the last Grand Slam of the year looms closer. While she had first-round exits in the first two majors of the year, Shnaider made it to R3 at Wimbledon. But can she switch gears to hard court again? Her recent ascent to the SF of the Canadian Open would certainly suggest that. “Shnaider has been playing some really big tennis as of late,” Monica Puig said on the Tennis Channel Live Podcast.

In the top 20 for the first time, the Russian youngster was beaten by eventual winner Jessica Pegula in the semi-final of the Canadian Open. Now at Cincinnati, Shnaider just had a brilliant victory over Ashlyn Krueger yesterday. Discussing her form, Puig further added, “Yeah both players really showing some good form at the moment and Krueger had a break early in this set, but Shnaider has been playing some really big tennis as of late, fought back to close this out 7-5, and did not stop from there. In the second set pretty much just steamrolled Krueger all the way in just a testament to how consistent she’s been in her results this summer.”

While the retired WTA player also mentioned, “And I mean we’re talking about the summer of Tay-Tay,” she quickly clarified, “but it’s also the summer of Shnaider with how she’s playing.” 

Before facing Pegula, Shnaider also dispatched World No. 2 and top seed Coco Gauff in the round of 16 in Canada. More than anyone, it was the Russian star herself who was not expecting that victory, but she was certainly prepared for it. “I think I was honestly very surprised how I was putting a lot of balls in…when there were long rallies and I was winning them, I was like, ‘Wow, I just beat Coco in long rallies. I am good today, okay,’” Shnaider said after that match. “I tried to play it cool, but inside I was like, Yes! I made it.”

But the Eurasian star is not the only unexpected name to shoot to stardom. One American also finds a mention in Puig’s catalog for the year. “The summer of Taylor Townsend continues, says her motto is pound the stone,” as Steve Weissman put it on the podcast. And Puig agrees.

Not just Diana Shnaider, it’s also the summer of ‘mentally tough’ Taylor Townsend

Townsend, like most moms on the WTA Tour, took some time to acclimatize to the grueling tennis schedule once again. But what no one expected was her steady rise to stardom at 28 years of age. With a total of 7 career titles in her portfolio, one of Townsend’s biggest wins came at Wimbledon this year, where she claimed the doubles trophy with Katerina Siniakova.

Known to share behind-the-scenes of what life actually looks like on the tour, the American has been open about her struggles. And, Puig lauds her for her strength nevertheless, “And we’ve been saying this, the theme for Taylor Townsend – and she’s been saying it as well – is how mentally tough she’s been in dealing with adversity. Having to play so many matches, coming in playing singles and doubles, showing a little bit of that doubles flare here at the net, getting it done.”

But the American star’s distinguishing quality? “She’s been mentally tough, she’s been mentally strong, and she’s got something to prove every single time that she steps out onto the court.”

It’s the summer of Taylor Townsend, apparently, but also the summer of Diana Shnaider! And Monica Puig, like us, is rooting wholeheartedly for both.