Iga Swiatek was looking to advance to her 17th consecutive clay-court quarterfinal.
The Polish world number two didn’t have things all her own way in her Madrid Opener as Swiatek battled past Alexandra Eala in three sets, 4-6, 6-4, 6-2.
Steadying the ship, Swiatek then beat Linda Noskova in straight sets to set up an intriguing clash with Russian youngster, Diana Shnaider.
Requiring a third set once again, Swiatek beat Shnaider, 6-0, 6-7, 6-4, to book her place in the quarterfinals of the 2025 Madrid Open.
Speaking after the match, Shnaider’s new coach, Dinara Safina, outlined the changes the 21-year-old needs to make.
Dinara Safina says Diana Shnaider has to ‘believe’ she can beat top players after losing to Iga Swiatek
Speaking to Daniela Hantuchova, former world number one, Safina revealed what she told Shnaider before her match with Swiatek in Madrid.
“I spoke with Diana [Shnaider] before the game, ‘Don’t overprice the players’,” she said.
“I told her, many times when I was there, I was shaking more than my opponents.”
Safina believes a lack of self-belief cost Shnaider in the fourth round, despite pushing Swiatek close.
“I think in the third set she had a very good chance, but she didn’t believe she could win,” she said.
“I told her after the match, ‘Didn’t you believe you could win?’, she’s like ‘No’.
“I said you have to believe when you step on the court, you step for winning, you’re not stepping just to play against number two in the world. You step because you want to win, and you have to change this.”
The Russian explained how Shnaider can change that, and suggested it all starts with hard work on the practice courts.
“Iga [Swiatek], Aryna [Sabalenka], they all deserve to be there,” said Safina.
“They all went through these steps, they stop analyzing other players, they start focusing more on themselves, on their game.
“I think this is built day-by-day, from understanding yourself, who you are, understanding your game, when you practice, what you are doing on the court.
“When you know what your game is, you just go on court and you play.”
Diana Shnaider on the cusp of a top-ten debut following her run in Madrid
Following her Madrid Open exploits, Shnaider could rise to as high as 11th in the WTA Rankings next week.
| Rank | Name | Points | Points gap to #10 |
| 10 | Paula Badosa | 3,761 | – |
| 11 | Diana Shnaider | 3,023 | 738 |
| 12 | Elena Rybakina | 2,983 | 778 |
| 13 | Karolina Muchova | 2,919 | 842 |
| 14 | Daria Kasatkina | 2,686 | 1,075 |
| 15 | Barbora Krejcikova | 2,664 | 1,097 |
| 16 | Elina Svitolina | 2,635 | 1,126 |
| 17 | Amanda Anisimova | 2,617 | 1,144 |
| 18 | Jelena Ostapenko | 2,235 | 1,526 |
| 19 | Donna Vekic | 2,226 | 1,535 |
Shnaider currently trails Spain’s Paula Badosa by over 738 points, a fairly sizeable gap to close down in search of a top-ten breakthrough.
Remarkably, Shnaider is also currently ranked 11th in the Live WTA Doubles rankings thanks to her performances alongside Mirra Andreeva in 2025.
The pair has enjoyed a strong start to the year and picked up their first WTA 1000 title together at the Miami Open.
- 2025 Australian Open – Diana Shnaider/Mirra Andreeva lost in SF
- 2025 Qatar Open – Diana Shnaider/Mirra Andreeva lost in SF
- 2025 Indian Wells – Diana Shnaider/Mirra Andreeva lost in 1R
- 2025 Miami Open – Diana Shnaider/Mirra Andreeva won
- 2025 Madrid Open – Diana Shnaider/Mirra Andreeva lost in 2R
Working with Andreeva can only help Shnaider, as she learns from the only player to have won multiple WTA 1000 titles in 2025.
Shnaider is currently scheduled to return to action at the Italian Open, where she reached the third round on debut last year.
The 2025 Italian Open is set to begin in Rome on May 5.
Receive exclusive tennis news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
