World No. 13 Diana Shnaider shared her perspective on her current age.
– Andrey Rublev mentioned that Safin completely changes him, including his psychology. What are you working on with Dinara?
I wouldn`t say we are drastically changing my technique. We are focusing on specific aspects of my game. For a heavy ball, we play cross-court. If the ball is comfortable, we can be more aggressive. We`re adding variability: slices, drop shots, a lob if I need to reset. Essentially, we`re trying to make my game more diverse. And, of course, we`re heavily focused on psychology. It`s crucial for me not to get down on myself because of mistakes. Obviously, everyone makes errors, but I tend to concentrate on them too much, which hinders my performance, so we dedicate significant time to addressing this. Dinara even says I should become a commentator. Overall, this work is already yielding results. Of course, it`s not perfect, and there`s still plenty of room for growth.
– What changes have occurred in your training process? Has anything about Dinara Safina`s approach surprised you?
It really depends on the player. Some players prefer just standing with a hitting partner and consistently drilling cross-court shots to build rhythm. I appreciate that we practice all types of shots. If a stroke like my two-handed shot needs refining, we work on it to make it feel comfortable and effective for me. We mix everything up. We are constantly working and striving to improve. I truly hope our collaboration develops into a full-time partnership.
– Mirra Andreeva is turning 18 soon. You are older. How do you feel about growing up and the speed at which time is passing?
Time truly does fly faster, especially with our busy tour schedule. However, I honestly don`t feel like I`m already 21. I still feel like I`m 17, just like Mirra. But that`s perfectly fine; we`ll all have enough time to grow up. I`m quite happy staying in my teenage years a bit longer.
Marcus Prine