“The most natural shot I have”: Lilli Tagger explains the one-handed backhand, after a Rome loss to Sakkari

Lilli Tagger is one of the most talked-about teenagers in women’s tennis right now. The 17-year-old Austrian, the 2025 Roland-Garros junior champion, has built a string of strong results on the senior tour over the past months. She is also one of a tiny handful of women on tour who play with a one-handed backhand, a shot that has all but vanished from the women’s game.

In her Rome press conference, after losing 5-7, 6-3, 6-0 to Maria Sakkari in the second round, Tagger explained the choice. “When I started to play, I started to play with two hands. I never wanted to change to play with one hand, because I just feel it’s the most natural shot I have. I enjoy playing it a lot.” She made the switch at twelve.

She is also clear-eyed about why she sticks with it. “There are quite a lot of positive sides from this shot. I can get different angles instead of with the two-handed backhand. For me, it’s the most natural shot. I’m super happy that I changed it. I can see that I made the correct choice.”

The Sakkari match offered a glimpse of the level still to come. “I started very well, I played my tennis. In the second set, when I had to catch it, I released it. That’s just part of the game. I need to learn from it. That’s the new level.”

Now 18, world No. 92 and coached by 2010 Roland-Garros champion Francesca Schiavone, who plays the one-handed backhand herself, Tagger reached her first WTA final last year in Jiujiang and her second this year in Mumbai, having only made her tour-level debut in late 2025.

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