Diana Shnaider says she absolutely loves to play for the Russian public and admits she is thrilled to have a chance to do so this weekend at the Northern Palmyra Trophies in St. Petersburg.
After the ATP and WTA removed all Russian tournaments from the calendar in early 2022, St. Petersburg - which used to host an ATP tournament late in the year - launched an exhibition named the Northern Palmyra Trophies. It is a mixed team event featuring male and female players.
In the past, several well-known names took part in the Northern Palmyra Trophies. This year is no exception as every participant is a top-100 player - both on the men's and women's side.
The St. Petersburg exhibition mainly features Russian male and female players. However, the participants usually receive criticism from the tennis public.
Shnaider: Without hesitation I signed up for the Northern Palmyra Trophies
"Well, then I'll begin. For me personally, the main motivation is always to come and play for the Russian public, spend a little more time with my family, enjoy the atmosphere at the stadium, and, of course, return to the beautiful city of St. Petersburg. So, I was very happy to hear that the tournament would be held again this year, and without any hesitation, I agreed to come and play for our fans," the 21-year-old told Championat.
Shnaider's team members this weekend are Anastasia Potapova, Alexander Bublik and Tallon Griekspoor. They are competing against Daniil Medvedev, Karen Khachanov, Veronika Kudermetova and Yulia Putintseva.
Since Shnaider is 21, she didn't really have much of a chance to compete in Russia while the WTA was still hosting tournaments there. Only in 2021 - when she was 17 years old - the Russian tried to make the Moscow main draw through qualifying, but fell just short after losing in the qualies final round.
This year, Shnaider posted a 34-17 record on the WTA Tour and won her fifth title in Monterrey. The 21-year-old finished the year ranked at No. 21 in the world.
