Tennis fans recently reacted to a reported incident involving Diana Shnaider and her mother, Yulia, at the 2025 Italian Open. Shnaider entered the WTA 1000 event after competing at the 2025 Madrid Open, where she advanced to the fourth round before losing to Iga Świątek.
Fans React to Diana Shnaider’s Mother Reportedly Shouting at Her During a Match at Italian Open 2025
Shnaider was seeded 13th at the Italian Open. She began her campaign in the second round after a first-round bye. The Russian defeated Caroline Dolehide, Jaqueline Cristian, and Elise Mertens to reach the final eight.
Her run came to an end in the quarterfinals, where she faced sixth seed Jasmine Paolini. The home favorite came out on top in the rollercoaster contest with the score reading 7-6(1), 4-6, 2-6. The match had its fair share of drama as the boisterous Italian crowd passionately supported their player throughout. At one point, Diana Shnaider, disturbed by the cheering, signaled her frustrations to the spectators. The match was, however, overshadowed by a reported incident that drew the attention of many. During the third set, Shnaider’s mother, Yulia, seemingly shouted at her daughter, warning that if she lost the point, she would leave.
Diana Shnaider has previously denied rumors of a strained relationship with her parents, and she’s also dismissed rumors that her parents were involved in her recent split with coach Dinara Safina, whom she had hired just a month prior.
“That is, it (the split) wasn’t my initiative, and certainly not my parents’. As everyone writes: that they are taking all my money. It’s just disgusting to read. It’s very painful that people think that about my parents. In fact, I have a great relationship with them,” Shnaider clarified at the time [via Championat].
The latest incident at the Italian Open, though, drew a wave of criticism from tennis fans online. One fan suggested that domineering parents should be ‘banned’ from attending matches.
“Ban tennis parents immediately,” a fan posted.
Another fan speculated that the Russian’s mother’s behavior may have contributed to the abrupt coaching split.
“No wonder Dinara Safina left her team. She recognized the same pattern of behaviour as her mother in the past. That’s why she always seemed depressed in matches, especially when losing she was so down on herself. Poor Diana,” a fan wrote.
After Defeating Diana Shnaider, Jasmine Paolini Beats Peyton Stearns at Italian Open
After her victory against Diana Shnaider, Jasmine Paolini faced former NCAA champion Peyton Stearns in the semifinal on Thursday, May 15. Stearns reached the final four after impressive wins against Nuria Brancaccio, Anna Kalinskaya, Madison Keys, Naomi Osaka, and Elina Svitolina. She, however, couldn’t keep pace with Paolini.
The Italian, who trailed the American in the first set, staged a remarkable comeback to steal the opener 7-5. With support from her home crowd, she accelerated her dominance, allowing Stearns just one game in the second set, and closed the match with a 7-5, 6-1 score.
Jasmine Paolini now faces either Coco Gauff or Zheng Qinwen in Saturday’s title clash.
