Zarina Diyas facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Zarina Diyas

Diyas at the 2022 French Open
Native name	Зарина Диас
Country (sports)	Kazakhstan
Residence	Almaty, Kazakhstan
Born	(1993-10-18) 18 October 1993 (age 31) Almaty
Height	1.72 m (5 ft 8 in)
Turned pro	2007
Plays	Right (two-handed backhand)
Coach	Roberto Antonini
Prize money	US $3,792,415
Singles
Career record	359–257 (58.28%)
Career titles	1
Highest ranking	No. 31 (12 January 2015)
Current ranking	No. 325 (17 March 2025)
Grand Slam singles results
Australian Open	3R (2014, 2015, 2020, 2021)
French Open	2R (2015, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2021)
Wimbledon	4R (2014, 2015)
US Open	3R (2014)
Other tournaments
Olympic Games	1R (2021)
Doubles
Career record	31–44 (41.33%)
Career titles	0
Highest ranking	No. 89 (8 June 2015)
Current ranking	No. 1056 (17 March 2025)
Grand Slam doubles results
Australian Open	2R (2015, 2018)
French Open	2R (2015, 2021)
Wimbledon	2R (2014, 2021)
US Open	QF (2014)
Team competitions
Fed Cup	18–8 (69.23%)

Zarina Diyas is a professional tennis player from Kazakhstan. She was born on October 18, 1993. Zarina has achieved a high ranking of No. 31 in the world by the WTA. She has won one singles title on the WTA Tour, which was the 2017 Japan Women's Open. She also won nine singles titles on the ITF Women's Circuit.

Before 2014, Diyas mostly played in smaller tournaments called the ITF Circuit. In 2014, she had a big breakthrough. She started the year outside the top 150 but reached the top 40 by September. This allowed her to play in bigger WTA Tour events more often. Zarina is one of the most successful female tennis players from Kazakhstan. Other famous players from her country include Elena Rybakina and Yulia Putintseva.

Diyas joined the Kazakhstan Fed Cup team in 2011. She holds the record for the most singles wins for her country, tied with Yaroslava Shvedova. Her overall record in team matches is 18 wins and 8 losses.

Early Life and Tennis Beginnings

Zarina Diyas was born in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Her mother is Aida Aulbekova, and she has a sister named Alissa. When Zarina was five, she moved to the Czech Republic with her mother and sister. Her mother introduced her to tennis when she was six years old.

Around 2010, she played for a tennis club in Prague. She could have become a Czech citizen but chose to keep playing for Kazakhstan. She lived in the Czech Republic until she was 12. Then, she moved to Guangzhou, China, for much of her tennis training. Later, she began studying psychology online at a university.

Junior Tennis Career

Diyas was a very good junior player, reaching a high ranking of No. 17. She started playing on the ITF Junior Circuit in January 2007 when she was 13. In July of that year, she won a junior singles title at the Safina Cup. This was also her first time playing doubles, where she reached the second round.

She continued to play well, reaching a semi-final and a final by the end of 2007. In 2008, she started strong by winning a big junior tournament in the Czech Republic. In March 2008, she won her first junior doubles title in Luxembourg.

In June 2008, she played in her first Grand Slam tournament, the French Open. She won her first match there before losing in the second round. She also played doubles at the French Open. She later played at Wimbledon and the US Open. Her last junior tournament was the French Open in June 2009.

Professional Tennis Journey

First Steps in Professional Tennis (2007–2009)

Zarina Diyas started playing professional tournaments on the ITF Women's Circuit in 2007. She was 14 years old. In April 2008, she played in the qualifying rounds of the Prague Open. She then made her main-draw debut at a tournament in Astana, where she won her first professional title.

In 2009, she won another ITF title in Stuttgart. She also made her debut on the WTA Tour at the Prague Open. There, she won her first WTA matches and reached the quarterfinals. This was a big year for Diyas, as she also played in the qualifying rounds of the US Open.

Rising Through the Ranks (2010–2013)

In 2010, Diyas continued to improve her ranking. She entered the top 200 in July. In October 2010, she had a memorable performance at the Kremlin Cup in Moscow. She qualified for the main draw and defeated a top-10 player, Jelena Janković. This was her biggest win at the time.

In late 2011, Diyas had shoulder surgery. This meant she couldn't play tennis for seven months, and her ranking dropped. She returned in May 2012 and won her third ITF title in Bukhara. She also reached a WTA Challenger event quarterfinal in Taipei. By the end of 2013, she was back in the top 200.

Breakthrough Season and Top 50 (2014)

Diyas at the 2014 Italian Open

The year 2014 was a major turning point for Diyas. She reached a final at an ITF event in Hong Kong. Then, she qualified for her first Grand Slam main draw at the Australian Open. She reached the third round there, which helped her ranking climb to No. 112.

She continued to play well, winning another ITF event in China. At the Miami Open, she qualified for the main draw and won a match. She also reached her first WTA Tour quarterfinal since 2010 at the Malaysian Open.

At Wimbledon, she had her best Grand Slam result yet. She won three matches, including against a seeded player, to reach the fourth round. She also reached the third round of the US Open and her first Grand Slam quarterfinal in doubles.

In Asia, she reached her first WTA Tour final at the Japan Women's Open. These strong results helped her enter the top 50. She finished 2014 ranked No. 34 in the world.

Continued Success and Injuries (2015–2018)

Diyas in 2015

Diyas started 2015 strong, reaching quarterfinals in Shenzhen and Hobart. At the Australian Open, she reached the third round again. She also had good results at the Dubai Tennis Championships and Indian Wells Open.

Despite some challenges on clay, she reached the fourth round of Wimbledon for the second year in a row. She defeated several higher-ranked players before losing to Maria Sharapova. However, the second half of 2015 was tougher, and her ranking dropped to No. 52.

In 2016, Diyas faced a wrist injury at Wimbledon. She had surgery and did not play for the rest of the year, falling out of the top 100.

Diyas at the 2017 Wimbledon

She returned in 2017 and slowly built her way back. She won an ITF title in Nanning, China. Then, she won a big ITF tournament in Manchester, UK, without losing a set. At Wimbledon, she received a wildcard and reached the third round.

Her biggest achievement in 2017 was winning her first WTA title at the Japan Women's Open. She won all her qualifying matches and then defeated several strong players to win the championship.

In 2018, Diyas was back in the top 100. She reached the quarterfinals in Shenzhen and the fourth round of the Miami Open. She also reached her first WTA clay-court quarterfinal in Strasbourg. However, she suffered a serious knee injury at the Nottingham Open, which made her miss the grass-court season.

Recent Years and Comeback (2019–Present)

Diyas prepares for the serve at the 2020 Australian Open

In 2019, Diyas won her eighth ITF singles title, which helped her get back into the top 100. In 2020, she reached the third round of the Australian Open. She continued to play in major tournaments, reaching the third round of the 2021 Australian Open as well.

In 2022, Diyas faced another injury that ended her season in June. Her ranking dropped significantly. After a two-year break, she made her comeback in 2024. She played at Wimbledon and later entered her first WTA main draw since 2022 at the China Open. This helped her return to the top 500 in the world rankings.

Playing Style

Zarina Diyas is known for her aggressive style of play. She hits powerful and accurate shots from the back of the court. Her forehand is especially strong and helps her move opponents around. Her serve is effective because she places it well, making it hard for opponents to return. Even though she might not be the fastest mover, she makes up for it with her strong fighting spirit.

When she was younger, Diyas was coached by Jaroslav Jandus. After her shoulder surgery in 2011, she worked with Alan Ma. In 2018, she started working with Roberto Antonini as her coach. Dunlop provides her with racquets, clothing, and shoes.

Personal Life

Zarina Diyas has mentioned Justine Henin, Martina Hingis, and Serena Williams as her tennis heroes. She can speak Russian, Czech, and English fluently. She has said that Wimbledon is her favorite tournament because of its long history and traditions.

In 2019, she won the Fed Cup Heart Award for her region. She was also nominated for Newcomer of the Year in 2014.

Images for kids

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  Diyas at the 2016 Wimbledon Championships

See also

In Spanish: Zarina Dias para niños