Teenager Lilli Tagger captures maiden WTA title with Prague Triumph

Lilli Tagger announced herself on the biggest stage of her young career by defeating Daria Snigur 7-6(3), 6-2 to win the Livesport Prague Open, securing her first WTA Tour title.

The 18-year-old Austrian also made history by becoming the first player born in 2008 to lift a WTA singles trophy.

The victory will see Tagger climb to a career-high World No. 45 in the latest WTA Rankings, making her the youngest player inside the top 50.

Speaking after her breakthrough triumph, Tagger admitted she had to overcome early nerves before finding her rhythm.

“It was just an amazing match. I feel super happy right now. I was a bit tired and nervous at the beginning, but right now I’m just super happy, happy that I turned it around in the first set, and kept going with my way in the second set.”

The Austrian revealed she remained focused despite falling behind early in the opening set.

“For me, it’s not that easy to start when I’m down in the set, but you know, it can happen. It’s part of the game. So I just told myself, it’s just one break in the end. So I kept fighting, and yeah, I turned it around.”

Renowned for her elegant single-handed backhand—a rarity in the modern women’s game—Tagger showcased her attacking style throughout the final. She fired nine aces and consistently put Snigur under pressure to deny the Ukrainian her maiden WTA Tour title.

The match looked to be slipping away from Tagger in the opening set as she fell 2-5 behind, but the teenager responded impressively. She recovered the break deficit before edging the set in a tense tiebreak.

With the momentum firmly on her side, Tagger dominated the second set, producing another confident display to seal victory in just one hour and 30 minutes and lift the trophy in the Czech capital.

The title represents a major milestone for one of the brightest young talents on the WTA Tour, with Tagger’s breakthrough success in Prague expected to propel her into the spotlight as one of the sport’s rising stars.