If Lilli Tagger wasn’t already on your radar last year, or even this year, you might want to switch radars. Born on February 17, 2008, in Lienz, Austria, Tagger is yet another teenager, in a growing list, making her move on the WTA Tour, barely before she’s wiped the slate on her own junior career.
Since October 2023, Tagger has been training at the academy of Francesca Schiavone, the 2010 French Open champion, in Varese, Italy. Schiavone’s guidance has clearly been instrumental, helping Tagger refine her game and navigate the transition from junior to professional tennis.
The Italian’s influence was evident during Tagger’s standout performance at the 2025 Junior French Open, where she claimed the girls’ singles title without dropping a set. In the final, she dominated Britain’s Hannah Klugman 6-2, 6-0, becoming the first Austrian to win the junior title at Roland Garros.
Along the way, she avenged a quarter-final Australian Open loss to junior world No. 1 Emerson Jones, whom she defeated in straight sets in the semi-finals. Tagger also reached the quarter-finals at Junior Wimbledon in 2025, showing that she’s more than capable on any surface.
Although Schiavone wasn’t instrumental in her technique growing up, there’s no doubt she would very much approve of Tagger’s one-handed backhand, a rarity in men’s tennis these days, let alone women’s tennis, where it’s almost non-existent.
This draws comparisons to her compatriot Dominic Thiem, known for his elegant and powerful single-handed shot. The decision to adopt this style came at a young age, during a U12 tournament near Vienna.
Reflecting on that decision after her Roland Garros triumph, Tagger recalled, “I told my father: ‘If I win, I want to play with a one-handed backhand.’ It was a U12 tournament near Vienna, so when I won, I was very happy to be able to change my backhand style. I admit that it was a bit difficult to change it at that age, but I had a lot of fun playing, I never thought it was a bad decision. If I think about it now, I am convinced it was the right decision.”
The switch, was a gamble that (so far), has paid off, giving her a unique weapon that stands out on the court amongst her opponents.
Since calling time on her junior career, Tagger’s transition to the professional circuit has been nothing short of impressive. She has already reached five ITF finals, winning four of them, as well as reaching her first 125 final in February 2026.
Her first title came at a W35 event in Terrassa, Spain, in March 2025, where she defeated French player Lois Boisson in straight sets. Boisson would later reach the semi-finals of the senior Roland Garros event, franking the significance of Tagger’s victory.
The Austrian’s form has peaked in August and September 2025, as she compiled a 17-2 record, including back-to-back titles at W75 events in Romania and Serbia. In Romania, at the W75 Bucharest, she defeated Lina Gjorcheska 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 in the final, and in Serbia, at W75 Kursumlijska Banja, she overcame Rada Zolotareva 5-7, 6-2, 6-2.
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She also reached another final in Austria at the W75 Amstetten, though she fell to compatriot Sinja Kraus. These results propelled her to a career-high WTA singles ranking of No. 219, an outstanding leap from No. 773 at the start of the season. Her overall record for 2025 was an impressive 34-9, and even stronger after you take into account her junior events.
Tagger’s results in 2026 have further demonstrated her talent. She opened the year with her first Grand Slam qualifying draw, reaching the final stage, before just falling short. She then went on to win her fourth ITF event in Fujairah, before reaching the final of the Mumbai 125 event.
Her latest effort, reaching the quarter-finals of the Linz 500 event, with wins over Paula Badosa and Liudmila Samsonova have seen her break into the top 100 for the first time. With her trajectory the way it’s going, it’s hard to see her moving anywhere but up. There’s a very good chance Tagger will be in the top 40 by end of year.
As Austria’s top junior prospect, she’s already filling a gap left by Thiem’s retirement, and will be one to watch during the next 12 months.
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