Former World No. 1 Safina Coaches Diana Shnaider

MADRID — Dinara Safina, the former Hologic WTA Tour No. 1, readily admits that playing is considerably easier than watching. Despite this understanding, she recently decided to return to the top tier of tennis by accepting a coaching position.

Safina might have reconsidered that choice last Friday in Madrid as Diana Shnaider and her doubles partner Mirra Andreeva struggled during their match on Court 5 at the Mutua Madrid Open. They ultimately managed to defeat Nicole Melichar-Martinez and Liudmila Samsonova in a dramatic match-tiebreak that finished 12-10.

Witnessing Safina twist and grimace in her seat was challenging. Was she having a heart attack?

“Almost,” she replied with a shake of her head.

Shnaider commented, “I can imagine. I nearly had one myself.”

Safina, recognized as one of the premier clay-court players of her era, is now back on the red clay, collaborating with Shnaider, who turned 21 earlier this month. Shnaider is currently ranked No. 13 and delivered a dominant 6-0, 6-0 victory over Anastasija Sevastova in just 44 minutes on Saturday.

This marked Shnaider`s first shutout at the WTA Tour level (she had achieved it twice previously in ITF events in Kazakhstan and Turkey). The win propelled her into a Monday Round of 16 match against either No. 2 Iga Swiatek or No. 31 Linda Noskova.

How did Safina and Shnaider`s partnership come about?

Shnaider was coached by Igor Andreev until the close of the last season, after which her father, Maxim, a lawyer, temporarily took over. When Shnaider began looking for a new coach earlier this year, her mother, Yulia, reached out to 2004 French Open champion Anastasia Myskina for suggestions. Myskina, a close friend of Safina`s and a colleague at the sports channel “Bolshe!” (where they communicate almost daily), proposed Safina. Yulia quickly sent Safina a text message.

“They inquired if I could come to Dubai, and I explained it was too sudden and I couldn`t change my plans,” Safina shared. “Then, regarding the U.S. tournaments [Indian Wells and Miami], I didn`t have a visa. So I told them, ‘Okay, I’m available for the clay-court season.’”

“I discussed it with my family. For me, the timing felt perfect.”

Shnaider expressed her enjoyment of their practice sessions and spending time together. She highlighted Safina`s extensive experience as a top player as her greatest asset.

“Significant mental resilience, concentrating on the correct aspects,” Shnaider noted. “Learning how to manage emotions more effectively. It involves minor adjustments, like where to better place the ball on the court. Stepping forward to be more aggressive. Seizing opportunities, moving in, approaching the net.”

“I`d say primarily it`s about not dwelling on negative emotions. If I make a mistake, not fixating on it. Identifying what went wrong, finding a solution, and staying focused on the next point. Not being too harsh on myself.”

Safina mentioned that experiencing tennis from the coach`s perspective has been insightful.

“I’m not sure if it benefits her or not – sometimes it seems to, sometimes it doesn’t,” Safina remarked. “Occasionally she listens, other times she doesn’t.”

A journalist pointed out that Shnaider is still only 21 and in just her third season playing tour matches.

“She’s not a child, come on,” Safina retorted. “We need to be realistic. She’s an adult. Gradually, she needs to mature and become a woman who is a little more disciplined.”

Shnaider doesn`t dispute this.

“I always pay attention to her, but sometimes it takes time for me to implement what she asks,” Shnaider said. “I never dismiss her feedback with a ‘Whatever.’”

“I understand her expectations, but sometimes it`s simply a bit challenging. It’s not something you can instantly change with a `click.`”

Safina retired prematurely in 2011 at the age of 25 due to a persistent back injury.

What has she been doing since then?

“Honestly,” she sighed, “living life.”

Over the subsequent 14 years, Safina has pursued a diverse array of experiences. She returned to university to earn a law degree. She worked in player relations for tournaments in Madrid, Moscow, and St. Petersburg, and even served as an operations director for an IT firm. The latter required regular office hours, which didn`t suit her. She also spent time living in New York City and coached Anhelina Kalinina.

For nearly a decade, her primary challenge was a struggle for self-control.

“I experienced many difficulties – something I haven’t discussed openly before,” Safina revealed. “I gained significant weight and battled a binge eating disorder. It affected me for quite a long period.”

“There were ups and downs. Depression, struggling with the condition. I felt lost. Slowly, I began to recover.”

That recovery process started in 2020.

“And now I`m here,” Safina said with a smile.

Before recently, she and her brother, Marat, were most famous as the first (and only) siblings to achieve the No. 1 ranking on their respective tennis tours. Today, both are coaching Top 15 players, as Marat recently joined Andrey Rublev`s team.

A noteworthy fact: Both the player and the coach hold Olympic silver medals – Shnaider won hers in doubles with Mirra Andreeva last summer in Paris, and Safina in singles at the 2008 Beijing Games.

The current coaching arrangement with Shnaider is set to continue only through the clay season. They plan to discuss future possibilities after Roland Garros.

“We’ll see,” Safina stated. “It`s still something we need to talk about.”

Shnaider expressed enthusiasm about the collaboration.

“I`m really enjoying how things are progressing so far,” she said. “How she views my game. What she wants me to focus on improving and developing.”

“By the end of – or perhaps before [Roland Garros] – we will sit down, discuss, and hopefully agree on future steps. We`ll share our perspectives. For now, I`m just savoring the experience, and I hope she is, too.”