Most of the focus on the new rankings this week was on No. 1 exchanging hands on the men’s side, with Jannik Sinner taking the top spot back from Carlos Alcaraz after Monte Carlo.
But further down the rankings—and on the WTA rankings—one of the most unique players on the tour made a big breakthrough, as Austrian teenager Lilli Tagger broke into the Top 100 for the first time, jumping from No. 117 to No. 97 after reaching her first WTA 500 quarterfinal on home soil in Linz.
So how is she unique?
First of all, she’s one of the youngest players on the tour, just turning 18 in February—she’s actually the first player born in 2008 to crack the Top 100 of either the WTA or ATP rankings.
But at the same time she has a vintage style, playing with a one-handed backhand—a rare sight on the women’s tour, and especially for an up-and-comer on the women’s tour.
And it’s fitting that she’s currently being coached by Francesca Schiavone, the last woman with a one-handed backhand to win a Grand Slam title, at Roland Garros in 2010.
