Lilli Tagger is one of Austria's top tennis talents. © GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / JAMIE SQUIRE

Austria's tennis jewel with a curious Sinner connection

Not only are big names like Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, and Aryna Sabalenka currently performing brilliantly at the French Open. A young Austrian is also shining – and has a very special connection to superstar Sinner.

June 05, 2025

From: det

These days, a young Austrian is causing a stir at the French Open. Okay, not on the big stage like Jannik Sinner or Aryna Sabalenka. But on a smaller scale, nonetheless! Lilli Tagger hails from East Tyrol, specifically from Lienz, and advanced to the semifinals of the French Junior Open. There, the 17-year-old will play against top-seeded Australian Emerson Jones on Friday for a spot in the final.

In Austria, the teenager is considered a tennis gem, already ranked 508th in the world despite her young age and eyeing even higher. What also makes her special is that Lilli Tagger not only has a similar career path to Jannik Sinner, but also shares a manager with the Sexten superstar. Like Sinner, the 17-year-old is coached and mentored by Alex Vittur.

Alex Vittur (right) is Jannik Sinner's manager. © AFP / MARTIN KEEP

A collaboration that came about in a curious way. A few years ago, Tagger's family was looking for a new trainer and, during their research, came across Jannik Sinner's first coach, Heribert Mayr. Through him, the family eventually came into contact with Alex Vittur, the mastermind behind the Sinner project.

Suddenly in the family of Max Sartori

The Sinner manager arranged for young Lilli to attend the tennis school of the legendary Max Sartori, Andreas Seppi's lifelong coach, in Vicenza. From then on, Tagger not only trained under Sartori's wing, but also moved in with the famous coach's family, with Sartori's mother taking primary care of the young Austrian.

Lilli Tagger is fully committed. © GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / JAMIE SQUIRE

Lilli developed magnificently, and the big, wide world of tennis was slowly calling. However, because Sartori had spent his life traveling the world and no longer wanted to be on the road so much, they parted ways. Manager Vittur soon found an alternative and introduced the tennis gem to Francesca Schiavone, who won the 2010 French Open and now owns her own tennis school. Lilli Tagger – who now speaks fluent Italian – now lives in Varese, attends an online school in Bolzano, and still has big plans in the big, wide world of tennis.

Incidentally, the Austrian has a good rapport with Jannik Sinner. "Jannik is a very nice person, like everyone else on the team," Lilli Tagger emphasized. "He's definitely a role model because he works consistently and still has fun."