MADRID — Dinara Safina, a former World No. 1 on the Hologic WTA Tour, readily admits that playing is considerably less stressful than observing from the sidelines. Despite this, she recently decided to re-enter the demanding world of elite tennis as a coach.
Safina might have questioned this decision on Friday during a tense doubles match on Mutua Madrid Open’s Court 5. Diana Shnaider and her partner Mirra Andreeva were engaged in a hard-fought battle against Nicole Melichar-Martinez and Liudmila Samsonova, eventually prevailing in a thrilling 12-10 match-tiebreak.
Witnessing Safina`s reactions – twisting and grimacing in her seat – was difficult. Was she having a heart attack?
“Almost,” she responded, shaking her head.
Shnaider echoed the sentiment: “I can certainly understand that feeling. I nearly had one myself.”
Safina, renowned as one of the top clay-court players of her era, is now back on the clay, working with Shnaider, who celebrated her 21st birthday earlier this month. Shnaider is currently ranked No. 13 and delivered a flawless performance on Saturday, securing a dominant 6-0, 6-0 victory over Anastasija Sevastova in just 44 minutes.
This marked Shnaider’s first `bagel` win at the WTA Tour level (she previously achieved it twice in ITF events) and propelled her into a Monday Round of 16 clash against either World No. 2 Iga Swiatek or World No. 31 Linda Noskova.
So, how did Safina and Shnaider come to work together?
Shnaider was coached by Igor Andreev until the close of the last season, after which her father, Maxim, a lawyer, stepped in temporarily. Earlier this year, when Shnaider was seeking a new coach, her mother, Yulia, consulted Anastasia Myskina, the 2004 French Open champion, for recommendations. Myskina, a close friend and colleague of Safina’s at the sports channel “Bolshe!” (they converse almost daily), suggested Safina. Shortly thereafter, Yulia contacted Safina via text message.
“They inquired if I could travel to Dubai, but I explained it was too sudden and I couldn`t adjust my plans,” Safina told wtatennis.com. “Then, for the U.S. tournaments [Indian Wells and Miami], I didn`t have the necessary visa. So I informed them, `Okay, I`m available for the clay-court season.`”
“I discussed the opportunity with my family. For me personally, the timing felt absolutely perfect.”
Shnaider expressed her enjoyment of the practice sessions and the time spent together. She added that Safina’s most significant asset is her extensive experience as a former top professional player.
“She brings a lot of mental resilience and teaches me to focus on the crucial aspects,” Shnaider explained. “How to manage my emotions more effectively. It involves minor adjustments, such as choosing better placements for the ball on the court. Stepping forward to play more aggressively. Recognizing and taking opportunities, coming into the court, approaching the net.”
“Primarily, it’s about preventing myself from getting dragged down by negative emotions. If I make a mistake, I shouldn`t dwell on it. Instead, I need to identify the error, find a solution, and maintain focus on the subsequent point. It’s about not being excessively critical of myself.”
Safina commented that experiencing tennis from the coach`s viewpoint has been quite interesting.
“I`m not entirely sure if it consistently helps her – sometimes it appears beneficial, sometimes less so,” Safina remarked. “There are moments when she takes the advice, and moments when she doesn`t.”
A reporter highlighted that Shnaider is still only 21 and is in just her third season competing on the professional tour.
“She`s not a child anymore, come on,” Safina asserted. “We need to be realistic. At this stage, she is an adult. Gradually, she must mature and develop the discipline expected of a professional woman.”
Shnaider readily acknowledged this point.
“I always listen to her guidance; sometimes it just takes a little time for me to fully implement what she asks,” Shnaider clarified, emphasizing, “I never disregard her input.”
“I understand her goals and what she wants from me, but sometimes executing it is challenging. It’s not something you can simply change instantly with a click.”
Safina retired from professional tennis in 2011 at the relatively young age of 25, primarily due to a chronic back injury.
What has she been doing in the years since?
“Honestly,” she said with a sigh, “just experiencing life.”
In the 14 years following her retirement, Safina has had a varied and unusual sequence of experiences. She returned to university and completed a law degree. She worked in player relations for tournaments in Madrid, Moscow, and St. Petersburg, and even took on a role as an operations director for an IT company. The fixed office hours of the latter didn`t align with her lifestyle. She also spent some time living in New York City and coached Anhelina Kalinina.
Her most significant personal challenge for nearly a decade was a struggle for self-control.
“I navigated through many personal difficulties that I haven`t spoken about extensively,” Safina revealed. “I gained a significant amount of weight and battled a binge eating disorder. This condition affected me for a considerable period.”
“There were periods of emotional ups and downs, episodes of depression, and the ongoing struggle. I felt lost, unable to find my identity. Slowly, I began the process of recovery.”
This journey towards recovery started in 2020.
“And now, thankfully, I am in a much better place,” Safina said, smiling.
Just a month ago, she and her brother, Marat, were primarily known for being the first (and still the only) sibling pair to both achieve the World No. 1 ranking on their respective tours. Today, both are coaching Top 15 players; Marat recently joined the coaching team of Andrey Rublev.
A noteworthy fact: Both Diana Shnaider and Dinara Safina hold Olympic silver medals. Shnaider won hers in doubles with Mirra Andreeva last summer in Paris, while Safina earned hers in singles at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
The current coaching agreement with Shnaider is initially set to run through the clay court season. Discussions regarding their future collaboration will take place after the French Open (Roland Garros).
“We`ll see what happens,” Safina commented. “It`s a conversation that is still pending.”
Shnaider expressed enthusiasm about the partnership`s progress.
“I really appreciate how things are going so far,” she stated. “I value her perspective on my game and her guidance on areas for improvement.”
“Towards the conclusion of, or possibly even before, the French Open, we will sit down, have a discussion, and hopefully reach an agreement. We`ll share our thoughts and perspectives with each other. For the moment, I am simply enjoying this experience, and I hope she is enjoying it as well.”
Rupert Caldwell