ROLAND GARROS

June 7, 2025

Lilli Tagger

Press Conference

L. TAGGER/H. Klugman

6-2, 6-0

THE MODERATOR: Lilli, congratulations. You've made history for Austria, the first girl to win a Grand Slam junior title. Could you please talk about how proud you are about this accomplishment and your thoughts about your match?

LILLI TAGGER: I didn't thought about my match at all now, because I just finished anti-doping test, so I didn't really realize what I did, but I'm just super happy and proud of me. Yeah, enjoying the moment.

THE MODERATOR: Questions in English, please.

Q. Congratulations. When did you start working with Francesca? And have you seen footage of her winning the title here in 2010?

LILLI TAGGER: I started working with her, I mean at her academy, in October 2023. Yeah, of course I've seen her. I think it was two days ago when I watched the video of her winning here. I mean, she's are the queen of the clay (smiling).

Yeah, I can learn a lot of her game, and she's teaching me also a lot.

Q. Are you able to elaborate on what some of the things she's told you leading into this final? How did she say to approach this match?

LILLI TAGGER: I mean, we talked of course about the tactical part, because I knew my opponent, but the most important thing she told me to go out there, enjoy the moment, and try to, even if it wasn't that easy, but try to stay calm and focus on my goal.

Q. Earlier in the week you spoke about how you opted for the one-handed backhand, that you talked to your coach and said, If I win that tournament, I want to go with a one-handed backhand. Can you talk a bit more about that tournament, where it was, and the feelings afterwards, and how you think now five years on? Is it the right call?

LILLI TAGGER: Yeah, of course, I think it was the right call (smiling). I mean, I don't remember the moment so good because I was 11 years, I think, 12. Yeah, we went to the tournament, and I told him in the crowd, If I win the tournament, I want to play with the one-hand backhand.

It was a tournament in Austria under-12, close to Vienna, and of course when I won that tournament, I was just super happy to change my backhand.

Q. Just in general, who are your kind of tennis inspirations or sporting inspirations?

LILLI TAGGER: In tennis, in the men's part, I love Jannik. I really love him, how he is mentally on the court and also his style of the game.

The girls, Aryna Sabalenka. She's different from the other ones. She has a different attitude.

In general in the sports, I really like to ski, so I watch it also a bit, and I like Mikaela Shiffrin or Lindsey Vonn and try to learn from them.

Q. Have you had a chance to speak to Aryna or to Jannik at all in the week that you've been here? Have you spoken to any of the bigger stars?

LILLI TAGGER: No, I didn't speak to them yet. I mean, they are in the tournament, focused on the tournament, so I didn't have the chance yet.

Q. I think Dominic Thiem made the same switch like you, changed his backhand when he was already 12, I think, maybe 13. Did you talk about it with him about the difficulty to make such a change and about the tennis in general, the career? Did you know him?

LILLI TAGGER: I mean, when I at this age, I didn't knew how difficult it maybe can be or could be, but I had so much fun to play it. There was never once where I thought about it could be the wrong choice.

So, yes, if I think about it now, of course I would say it was the right decision which I took.

Q. Are you aware of some of the former champions in the girls' singles here and what they've gone on to do? There was four former junior girls champions through to the second week here. Are you aware of that history and how important it is for some players to progress in their careers from here?

LILLI TAGGER: I mean, of course it's really, really special to win this tournament here, but in the juniors I think from all of us the goal is to come here to play the normal seniors tournament.

So of course, if we come here, it's an inspiration to watch them play, and we focus of course on our tournament, try to win it, but the goal is to come here. So, yes, it's a great win. It gives you a lot of inspiration to continue to work, but the goal is to come here.