Lilli Tagger is currently in Dubai getting in shape for the coming season. The goals are clearly defined.
von tennisnet.com
last edited: December 13, 2025, 12:45 p.m
© GEPA pictures
After her outstanding 2025 season, Lilli Tagger is already in the middle of preparing for the coming season. The 17-year-old has been in Dubai for two weeks, where she is getting herself in shape for 2026 with coach Francesca Schiavone, assistant coach Lorenzo Frigerio and fitness trainer Sergio Bugada.
“I have already played here with Elena Rybakina, Paula Badosa and Donna Vekic,” Tagger told the “Kleine Zeitung”. She hasn’t made any new friends yet: “They’re all very nice, but also a bit reserved. Probably because we’re all opponents at some point.”
Tagger opens season in Auckland
The program in Dubai is certainly tough for taggers. After getting up at 8 a.m. and then having breakfast, the East Tyrolean woman goes to one of the numerous tennis facilities, where the program includes fitness exercises and then a two-hour tennis session. “After lunch we either continue with tennis or fitness,” says Tagger, who is currently working primarily on her serve.
Tagger, who was most recently elected to the “ITF Class of 2025”, will open her season at the WTA 250 tournament in Auckland (January 5th to 11th, 2026). She then has to qualify for the Australian Open. From the French Open onwards, the reigning junior champion from Paris wants to have a permanent place in the Grand Slam main fields.
