Lilli Tagger took an impressive step in her tennis career at 18 by winning her inaugural Tour-level tournament – the Prague Open on Sunday, July 26. With her dominant straight set win against Daria Snigur in the final, Austria’s Lilli Tagger not only achieved this major achievement, but she also entered into the Top 50 WTA rankings – joining an exclusive club of players.
Tagger’s win marked an historic occasion as she became the first player born in 2008 to capture a WTA Tour-level title, becoming only four Top 100 competitors to use a one-handed backhand regularly – Diane Parry, Viktorija Golubic and Tatjana Maria being others.
Last year, Tagger came close to this accomplishment with a finals appearance in Jiuxiang, where she fell to Anna Blinkova. This time, she capitalized fully on her opportunity, showcasing exceptional form throughout the week. She opened her campaign with straight-set wins against Gao Xinyu and Mai Hontama before overcoming the third-seeded home favorite Sara Bejlek in the quarterfinals without dropping a set.
The semifinal clash featured perhaps Tagger’s most memorable performance, as she faced second-seeded and two-time Major champion Barbora Krejcikova in Krejcikova’s hometown. After gaining a 5-3 lead in the first set, Tagger was unable to close it out as Krejcikova edged the tiebreak. Undeterred, Tagger bounced back to win the second set 6-3. The deciding set saw a fierce battle with multiple service breaks, ultimately culminating in a tense tiebreak where Tagger held her nerve to secure victory.
The final posed a new challenge as Tagger found herself trailing 3-0 and then 5-2 early in the first set against Snigur. Demonstrating remarkable composure, she rallied to take the set in a tiebreak and maintained control in the second, closing it out 6-2 to claim the title. Her one-handed backhand, a rarity in the women’s game, drew notable attention as she emerged as the highest-ranked WTA player employing this distinctive stroke.
Building Momentum: Tagger’s Rise Through the Ranks
Tagger’s breakthrough at the Prague Open is the culmination of steady progress over the past two seasons in both junior competitions and ITF tournaments. While she has had several impactful runs on the main Tour, she has also earned success at lower-tier events, capturing three ITF titles last year along with a runner-up finish.
One of Tagger’s proudest achievements during this period was her victory at the junior French Open tournament. Tagger used her one-handed backhand and adaptable style to thrive on clay courts despite slow conditions; beating four seeded opponents along her journey including third seed Jeline Vandromme and top seed Emerson Jones for this championship win.
Tagger will likely build upon her unique game under guidance from former Grand Slam Champion Francesca Schiavone during North American hard court season leading up to US Open. Many will closely follow Tagger’s performances this coming hard court season leading into US Open.