Lilli Tagger’s first-ever WTA final ended in defeat as she was beaten in straight sets by Anna Blinkova at the Jiangxi Open.
Tagger has been tipped for success by Jannik Sinner after a breakthrough season in 2025, which saw her win the junior title at Roland Garros.
The Austrian has made the smooth transition to the professional game, and she experienced her best-ever tournament at the Jiangxi Open.
Tagger defeated Zhu Chenting, Elisabetta Cocciaretto, Tamara Korpatsch and Viktorija Golubic as a wild card to reach her first WTA-level final.
The star was ultimately swept aside by Blinkova, but the final appearance remains an impressive milestone for the teenager.
Darren Cahill says there’s ‘more to come’ from Lilli Tagger
Fresh from his own success with Sinner at the Paris Masters, Cahill reached out to Tagger via his Instagram Stories.
The tennis coach wrote: “Congrats on your first WTA final. Many more to come! Congrats, Francesca Schiavone.”
Tagger trained at Schiavone’s academy as a junior and the former Roland Garros champion has been in her box since this year’s Roland Garros.
The pair have continued their partnership into the end of the 2025 season, which has seen the Austrian reach a career-high of World No. 156.
The teenager’s final appearance in China saw her become just the third player under the age of 18 to achieve that feat, after Donna Vekic and Olga Danilovic.
Lilli Tagger shares her favourite player on the tour
Although still only 17 years old, Tagger has proved herself to be a student of the game by brushing shoulders with some of the greats.
While at the Jiangxi Open, the Austrian shared the one current and one former player she admired growing up.
“I think at the moment I can really learn a lot from Jannik Sinner, and I really like the way he plays, and of course, when I was younger, I enjoyed watching Federer.”
With praise from Sinner already under her belt, there’s every chance the Austrian can progress and crack the top 100 in 2026.
