Drive south from Lienz, across the Austrian-Italian border into Innichen (San Candido), and you’ll find a region that has quietly become one of the most fertile strips of tennis territory in Europe.
Here, at roughly 1,100 metres above sea level, kids still ski before they serve. The lungs grow strong. The winters are long. And now, two names — Sinner and Tagger — will give this mountain corridor something it never had before: a shared sporting mythology.
Austria’s first female junior Grand Slam champion
Lilli Tagger, born 17 February 2008 in Lienz, made her historic mark in June 2025 by winning the Roland-Garros girls’ singles title — the first Austrian woman ever to claim a junior Grand Slam singles crown.
It was a statement result, delivered with a one-handed backhand that looks lifted straight from another era.
At just 17, she blended the poise of a seasoned pro with the clarity of a mountain morning.
The mentor behind the rise is another French Open champion: Francesca Schiavone. Their partnership bridges generations and nations — Italian precision meeting Austrian calm — and it’s hard not to notice the symmetry with another Tyrolean story just across the frontier.
A few miles and a philosophy away: Jannik Sinner
In Innichen, a short Alpine drive south, a red-haired teenager once swapped skis for rackets. Jannik Sinner’s story is now global: Grand Slam champion, world No. 1 contender, and the embodiment of Italian tennis’s rebirth.
His roots, though, remain firmly in this shared high-valley culture — disciplined, multilingual, modest, but ferociously competitive.
He too learned that rhythm and endurance are the currencies of altitude.
Tagger is cut from similar cloth — less flash, more focus.
The Alpine advantage
What is it about this slice of the Alps? Coaches talk of a few constants:
- Endurance from altitude — the natural aerobic foundation.
- Multi-sport grounding — most children here ski or hike before they specialise.
- Cross-cultural balance — Italian coaching methods mix with Austrian work ethic.
- Small-community focus — without the distractions of city academies, repetition breeds refinement.
Together, they form a kind of “Alpine Tennis Belt”, stretching from Tyrol to South Tyrol — a region now producing players with both steel and style.
Tagger’s rise at the Jiangxi Open
Now, as October closes in China, Tagger has reached the semi-finals of the Jiangxi Open (WTA 250) — her deepest run on the WTA Tour.
On paper, she’s still a teenager; on court, she plays with the restraint of someone who’s studied every rally.
That one-handed backhand — once an aesthetic curiosity — is becoming a weapon again, used to carve open modern topspin defenses.
The timing couldn’t be more poetic: Sinner soon in Turin, Tagger in Nanchang — two Tyroleans at opposite ends of the professional spectrum, both representing a region punching above its altitude.
A new generation with old values
Austria has waited decades for a female player capable of carrying national expectation with quiet assurance.
Tagger doesn’t roar; she measures.
She speaks softly, competes hard, and radiates the same humility that made Sinner such a compelling everyman hero.
Where others chase exposure, she chases improvement. It’s a mentality born of narrow valleys and steep lessons.
What’s next
Her next months will decide how fast she can climb. Physically, she’ll grow stronger. Technically, the serve and forehand will add pace.
But the foundations — balance, temperament, intelligence — are already mountain-solid.
If she keeps her course, Lienz and Innichen may soon share more than almost a border; they’ll share a legend each.
Sidebar: Quick Facts
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Name | Lilli Tagger |
| Born | 17 Feb 2008, Lienz (Austria) |
| Residence | Varese, Italy |
| Coach | Francesca Schiavone |
| Playing style | Right-handed, one-handed backhand |
| Junior highlight | Roland-Garros girls’ singles 2025 champion |
| Current result | Jiangxi Open 2025 semifinalist |