“He was in the right place at the right time” – Diana Schneider spoke about the beginning of work with Igor Andreev

Russian tennis player Diane Schneider said his coach’s playing experience Igor Andreev can help him overcome his negative thoughts during games.

On Thursday, Schneider will face Denmark’s Clara Toson in the second round of the US Open. The approximate start time of the match is 18:00 Moscow time.

— You have been working with Igor Andreev since the beginning of the grass season. What do you pay attention to when choosing a coach, how is communication structured?

“Igor was in the right place at the right time. We work a lot on my negative thoughts on the pitch. He has a lot of experience as a player, so there are many moments when he can understand what I feel on the pitch. He has good advice that helps me.

– If you feel negative about yourself, he tries to cheer you up. Can you give an example?

— I am negative if I make mistakes. We are all human, we are not robots, but sometimes I have a hard time realizing that it is normal to make mistakes and that I just have to keep playing. Igor teaches me that this is how you can become better, that it is important to stay focused throughout the match and fight for every point.

Psychologically, it is important to realize that sometimes you can lose simply because your opponent was better than you on a certain day, and not necessarily because you did something wrong. This is the hardest thing to accept.

– And tennis?

“We’ve been working a lot on our pitching. Also my shot selection in certain situations and from different positions on the court. We’re making little adjustments, it’s not like we’re working like crazy to change my technique or anything like that. At such a high level, little adjustments can make a huge difference.

— What are your long-term goals, have you discussed them with Igor?

“Not yet, but the long-term goal is just to stay healthy and be at a high level for as long as possible,” Schneider said in an interview with Tennis Majors.

Schneider, 20, is ranked 18th in the world. She began collaborating with Andreev in June. After that, she won two of her three WTA titles and became an Olympic silver medalist in doubles in 2024. During her career, Andreev reached 18th in the world rankings and won three ATP tournaments. He retired from tennis in 2013 and began working as a coach. In 2021, Andreev captained the Russian women’s team at the victorious Billie Jean King Cup.

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