NEW YORK, September 2. /TASS/. Russia’s Diana Shnaider reached the third round of the 2026 US Open tournament after defeating Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic on Wednesday.

The Russian, who is playing as a neutral athlete at international tournaments, took down Pliskova in straight sets 6-1; 7-6 (7-4). Shnaider is now set to face off against Taylor Townsend from the United States in the next round of this year’s closing Grand Slam tournament.

Shnaider, 22, is currently ranked 16th in the WTA Rankings. She holds five WTA titles. Her best result in Grand Slams was reaching the semis at 2026 French Open. At the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris, she captured a silver medal in women’s doubles with partner Mirra Andreeva.

The 2026 US Open is played on outdoor hard courts at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York between August 30 and September 13. The tournament will award a record $108 million in prize money. Aryna Sabalenka from Belarus and Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz are the tournament’s reigning champions in women’s and men’s singles respectively.

Russian tennis players are participating in international tournaments under a neutral status. The US Open is no exception.