Diana Shnaider signs off after breakthrough season by playing tourist in Hong Kong

Diana Shnaider is finally getting a break. After capturing her fourth title of 2024 in Hong Kong, the fast-rising 20-year-old took time to relax and enjoy some of the sights to officially kick off the start of her offseason.

Shnaider, who dropped just one set en route to winning the title at Victoria Park last week, visited The Peak, the tallest hill in western Hong Kong, and Ocean Park, the second-largest theem park in Hong Kong, with her parents and younger brother, who is a promising junior tennis player.

Shnaider's win at the WTA 250 level tournament, where she dethroned defending champion Leylah Fernandez in the semifinals and No. 2 seed Katie Boulter in the final with the loss of just three games, added to a title haul that also included victories in Hua Hin, Budapest and Bad Homburg.

After her 6-1, 6-2 victory over Boulter, Shnaider confessed that her mother had already drafted a robust plan to see the local sights and she was eager to amp up her adrenaline off-court with the theme park's four roller coasters.

A near-omnipresent presence in draws this season, Shnaider getting an jump start to vacation was no doubt most welcome. The 20-year-old played a staggering 29 WTA tournaments in 2024, tied for third-most in the Top 75 but the highest-ranked of those players.

The investment paid off: Ranked No. 97 at the start of the season, Shnaider is assured of ending the season on the cusp of the Top 10 after recording a 54-22 main-draw record in those events.

Four titles had the youngster tied with Aryna Sabalenka, the year-end world No. 1, and trailing only Iga Swiatek (five) for most on tour this year.

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"It's nice to be in that company," Shnaider said. "I will definitely push harder to be on the same stage as them, to win more tournaments and at even higher categories. That's the future. This year I did an amazing job.

"Next year, everyone will be getting ready, knowing my game, 'Oh she's tough,' stuff like that. But it's important for me to play against the best in the world. Even if there are a lot of losses, I'll be as positive as possible, just keep building my game, my mentality, my physical strength.

"There are a lot of things I can improve and achieve to be, say, a Top 10 player. It's not a rush, I'll have to be patient."