Shnaider surrenders to Chwalinska's game: "When you think you've won a point, she's still there"

Andrés Tomás Rico | 4 Jun 2026 | 20.47

Shnaider surrenders to Chwalinska's game: "When you think you won a point, she's still there." Photo: Gettyimages

Streaming French Open live tennis

🎾 Jakub Mensik vs Alexander Zverev

Sign up with Bet365 here
Make your first deposit of at least €5
Go to the “Live” section and watch every match

Watch the match on Bet365

The great Roland Garros for Diana Shnaider came to an end in the semifinals due to a commendable Maja Chwalinska, who was a wall and ended up frustrating the Russian. It wasn't her best day, and the level of the Polish player was superior, earning her a spot in the final where she will face Mirra Andreeva. Nevertheless, Shnaider leaves Paris with the satisfaction of having played two weeks of good tennis and having been the executioner of the world number one, Aryna Sabalenka.

That is how the tennis player herself stated in the press conference following her defeat. Far from reproaches and excuses, the Russian admitted that Chwalinska played better than her and didn't hesitate to praise her peculiar, tactical, and defensive game. She also revealed her plans for the grass court season.

Diana Shnaider praised Maja Chwalinska's game at Roland Garros 2026

"It has been two excellent weeks. I am very proud of myself and what I have achieved here. Obviously, many new things and new goals. In general, it was a very tough match. All the credit to Maia, she played amazingly. I feel like we both played very good tennis. It was a very intense battle. I tried to give my best and experimented with different things. I left everything on the court. I am proud of how I played and fought. She played incredibly and definitely deserved to win today and reach the final."

Shnaider analyzes what makes Chwalinska so dangerous

"First and foremost, she moves incredibly on the court, covers a lot of ground, and reads the game very well. Even when you think you won a point, she is there. Not only does she return the ball in a way that you can attack, but she does it in an uncomfortable manner for you. So, you have to start the whole point from scratch and rebuild it. She has a lot of variety and a lot of spin."

"Her left-handed forehand has a lot of spin, and her backhand has many slices. There are low balls, and, of course, the drop shots work very well. She comes to the net and covers the court very well. Her style of play fits perfectly with clay courts. Even if you are attacking, she can change the point and switch from defending to attacking."

Shnaider leaves Roland Garros with her head held high

"We didn't find any matches where she played against left-handers, so it was a matter of going out on the court. They were very long rallies, a very tough match in two sets, over two hours. It was very competitive tennis, with many highlights. Obviously, losing hurts, but I am happy with how I played, how I fought, and the great points there were. I feel the audience enjoyed watching it."

Phenomenal level of tennis between Maja Chwalinska and Diana Shnaider today, check out the highlights ↘️ #RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/LNQRUhj3J4
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) June 4, 2026

Shnaider defends Chwalinska's style of play, despite being 114th in the WTA ranking

"Sometimes the depth of tennis is underestimated. I knew her; we played once in a WTA 60K in 2022. Even then, her playing style was similar; it didn't change suddenly. She is a very tough rival, especially on clay, where you have to resist and extend the points, and she does it very well. Sometimes, she is underestimated just because of her ranking. I saw her defeat Quingwen in the first round, then Mertens and Zachary. A single week can change someone's life and career. She feels very good, is playing very confidently and with great tennis, and now she is on a streak. Regardless of her ranking, she is a very tough opponent."

She knows she could have done better to seize the victory

"It depends on the surface and circumstances. I already talked a bit with my coach. I think what I could have done more is to approach the net, be braver, and aggressive. I was aggressive from the baseline, but I couldn't close the point because she moves very well and covers the whole court. I could have tried a risky shot or a drop shot, but she would cover the court anyway. One thing I could have done is to be more aggressive and approach the net to finish the point."

The grass court swing and Wimbledon, Shnaider's next objectives

"I will reward myself by going home, spending a few days with my family. I had planned to play in London, but it doesn't make sense now. I need fresh air, see my family, and relax. There was a lot of tennis and tough matches. I need to let my body breathe and prepare for the grass because Wimbledon is close after Roland-Garros. There will be two grass court tournaments and then Wimbledon," concludes Diana Shnaider who leaves Roland Garros through the back door, but having played a dream tennis.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Shnaider se rinde al juego de Chwalinska: "Cuando piensas que ganaste un punto, ella sigue ahí"

WTA