Lilli Tagger has chosen motion over pause. With the season barely in the rear-view mirror, the 17-year-old Austrian has relocated to Dubai, not for a reset but for continuity, treating the weeks after her breakthrough year as an extension rather than an ending.
The choice fits a player whose 2025 season recalibrated expectations. Junior success turned into professional traction, and the response has been to narrow the margins. Tagger is training under Francesca Schiavone, with Lorenzo Frigerio supporting on court and Sergio Bugada directing the physical programme, a combination that prioritises structure over spectacle.
The Standard Is Set By Who Shares the Court
The practice environment has been instructive. Elena Rybakina, Paula Badosa and Donna Vekic have all been part of Tagger’s recent hitting sessions, offering a daily reference point for pace, depth and tolerance rather than inspiration.
“I’ve already played with Rybakina, Badosa and Vekic,” Tagger said in an interview with Kleine Zeitung. The dynamic has remained professional. “They’re all very nice, but also a bit reserved. Probably because we’ll all be opponents at some point.” It is not the kind of comment that sounds rehearsed, and it reflects an understanding that proximity on tour rarely equals familiarity.
Routine Replaces Romance
Days in Dubai follow a fixed pattern. An early start, physical work first, then extended time on court. After lunch, the schedule resumes with either tennis or conditioning, depending on load. There is little variation, and none appears accidental.
The serve has taken on increased importance in recent sessions. The focus is not on power alone, but on repeatability, particularly under fatigue. The aim is not flash, but reliability under tour-level pressure. It is the area where junior success often meets its first sustained resistance, and Tagger’s team has treated it accordingly.
January will provide the first competitive reading. Tagger opens her 2026 season at the WTA 250 in Auckland from January 5 to 11, before moving directly into Australian Open qualifying. The route is familiar, though not intended to remain so.
By the time the tour reaches Paris, the reigning junior champion wants to be operating on different terms, with direct entry into Grand Slam main draws rather than reliance on qualifying pathways. Her inclusion in the ITF Class of 2025 suggests that ambition is shared beyond her own camp.
Dubai, then, is less about signalling arrival than managing the next phase. Progress at this stage is meant to be earned rather than discovered. When the season begins in earnest, Tagger intends to arrive already in rhythm.
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