Wimbledon star forced to ditch item of clothing due to strict rule at SW19

Wales Online

2 days ago

Wimbledon star forced to ditch item of clothing due to strict rule at SW19
Young Wimbledon hopeful Diana Shnaider avoided SW19's stringent dress code rules after ditching her usual bandana in her straight sets victory over Moyuka Uchijima on Monday
Diana Shnaider had to make a change to avoid breaking Wimbledon rules
(Image: Robert Prange, Getty Images )
Tennis starlet Diana Shnaider has been told she isn't allowed to wear her trademark bandana at Wimbledon.
The 21-year-old Russian is usually easily spotted on the court thanks to her being one of the few players to sport a bandana. Despite her young age, Shnaider is the No. 12 seed at SW19 this year.
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Her tournament got off to a positive start as she dispatched Moyuka Uchijima in straight sets with a 7-6 (7-5), 6-3 victory on Monday. It marked the hottest opening day ever recorded at Wimbledon, with temperatures reaching a scorching 34 degrees.
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Sadly for her and her supporters, she was unable to wear her signature accessory after failing to find one that meets the strict all-white dress code at Wimbledon. She also went without it during her debut appearance at the All England Club last year, where she made it to the third round.
The former college athlete prefers her bandanas to be custom-made, sourcing the fabric herself and having a seamstress craft it into the perfect sweat-wicking, form-fitting accessory. She told Express Sport: "I don't have it this year either.
"To be honest, it's not enough time for us to figure out a lot of things and to choose a fabric and make the fit and everything. I need to be the one who is doing that. Unfortunately, there wasn't enough time to manage that.
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While the rules have affected what she can wear, Shnaider has embraced Wimbledon traditions, saying: "I like Wimbledon just because it's like one and only. It's different. For sure, it's like a different atmosphere here, compared to other Grand Slams.
"So for me, all of the white kits, I love, I feel like white looks great on every player. When you look at the players playing matches, you're just enjoying the way they look, just this green grass and players playing in the white kits, I feel like it's just a very cool atmosphere."
Diana Shnaider wasn't able to wear her signature bandana at Wimbledon again
(Image: Getty )
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This season, Shnaider is also establishing some new personal habits. One such change includes choosing to rent a house near the All England Club, having found staying at a hotel last year to be less than ideal, mainly due to the traffic.
Shnaider also mentioned that her family will not accompany her this time, stating: "They don't travel most of the year. My brother really wanted to come here, but they don't have visas yet. Maybe next year, he will enjoy it here.
"I actually have a house this year. Last year I stayed in a hotel, and I decided that this year I want to try something different because I didn't quite enjoy the traffic and spending like 30, 40 minutes in it. We have a pretty cosy house, so I enjoy it more."
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Shnaider is set to join forces in the women's doubles with her compatriot and fellow emerging talent Mirra Andreeva. Discussing their on-court connection, she said: "I love playing doubles and especially I love even more playing with Mirra.
"I think we have very good energy and chemistry on the court and obviously off the court, so for me, it just feels so comfortable and easy playing with her. We're just enjoying and having so much fun.
"At the same time, for sure, it's helping my game for the singles, to be more kind of consistent, to be more confident in myself, like going more to the net."