Lilli Tagger has announced herself to the tennis world in emphatic fashion, capturing her maiden WTA title at the Prague Open and fulfilling the lofty expectations that Jannik Sinner had placed on her shoulders.
The 18-year-old Austrian was dominant throughout the WTA 250 event in Czechia, knocking out Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova and home favorite Sara Bejlek before dispatching Daria Snigur in straight sets in the final. For a teenager still finding her footing on tour, the quality of scalps collected along the way was genuinely remarkable.
Sinner had been one of Tagger's most prominent admirers well before this breakthrough. Speaking to Krone earlier in 2025, the Italian praised her setup, her mentality, and the way she simply walks onto a court and competes. He doubled down at Indian Wells this year, calling her "very, very talented" and noting that her passion for the game was immediately visible. He also drew a fascinating comparison to his own skiing background, suggesting that athletes who have navigated physically dangerous pursuits develop a mental edge that translates powerfully into tennis.
The Prague title has catapulted Tagger from a career-high ranking of 74 all the way to 45, vaulting her above notable names including Emma Raducanu, Karolina Pliskova, and Magdalena Frech. Her coach, former French Open champion Francesca Schiavone, deserves credit for helping shape a player who, according to Sinner, is still actively working out exactly what her best game style looks like.
With the Canadian Open in Toronto set to begin on August 1st, Tagger could be heading straight into another major opportunity. TennisDraw users will want to keep a close eye on the Austrian when the bracket drops.
