Tagger Falls in Three-Set French Open Debut Against Wang Xinyu

Tagger entered the encounter with growing self-belief, having stunned then-world number 21 Liudmila Samsonova in Linz earlier this season. That victory proved she can compete with top-30 players, but Wang’s consistency from the baseline ultimately proved too taxing on the red clay.

A Hard-Fought Debut

Wang, a 22-year-old left-hander, broke Tagger’s serve five times across the three sets and successfully defended seven of nine break points. The Austrian’s aggressive forehand yielded winners but also a high number of unforced errors in the decisive third set.

Away from the scoreline, Tagger revealed she has been quietly refining her technique. A report in the “Kleine Zeitung” had flagged changes to her forehand, and she confirmed the adjustments after the match.

“In dieser spricht sie etwas weniger geheimnisvoll darüber, dass sie ‘vor allem an der Griffhaltung einiges geändert’ habe,” she acknowledged, adding: “An der Technik arbeitet man jeden Tag weiter, man probiert immer was zu ändern, weil man sich weiterentwickeln muss.”

Forehand Grip Overhaul

She stressed that the goal was not simply more power or precision but a holistic upgrade. “Es geht nicht speziell um Themen wie Präzision oder Power, sondern, dass der Schlag gesamt besser wird,” Tagger said. “Ziel ist immer, dass wir bei der Entwicklung weitermachen. Über das Resultat kann ich gar nicht reden, das ergibt sich, wie gut ich meine Sachen mache.”

Her reflections also touched on the surreal shift from the junior locker room to sharing spaces with the sport’s elites. “Es fängt schon mal damit an, wenn du in die Umkleide gehst, und auf einmal sind die ganzen großen Spieler da. Manchmal kommt es mir komisch vor – jetzt bin ich auch da,” she said with a smile.

Observing the top names’ mental preparation has become a free education. “Auch wie sie sich mental vorbereiten, da kann man sich viel abschauen,” Tagger noted. Her curiosity and humility signal an athlete determined to absorb everything the tour offers.

Echoes of Junior Glory

While Tagger’s run ended in round one, Sinja Kraus provided a bright spot for Austrian tennis by winning her final qualifying match to reach the main draw of a major for the first time. Kraus’s breakthrough adds another Carinthian to the women’s field alongside Julia Grabher.

Lukas Neumayer fell short in his own qualifying finale, but the ÖTV squad still has multiple players in action later this week. Anastasia Potapova, seeded 28th, carries the biggest expectations as the top-ranked Austrian hope in the top half of the draw.

Potapova, a Paris round-of-16 entrant in 2024, faced the media on Sunday with her toy poodle “Baby” on her lap and a relaxed demeanor that contrasted with the tension gripping some locker rooms. While several top players had reduced their total media availability to just 15 minutes in a dispute over prize money, Potapova declined to join the boycott.

Austrian Hopefuls on the Rise

“Ihr habt nichts mit unserem Preisgeld zu tun, ihr bezahlt uns ja nicht, oder? Hier bin ich und rede mit euch,” she said during a packed press conference. Calling the protest “Blödsinn,” she insisted that journalists bear no responsibility for the sport’s distribution of revenue.

The 25-year-old, who is contesting the 25th major of her career, described a fresh emotional mindset. “Ich habe davor keine Angst, weil das ist unser Leben. Ich bin jedes Jahr sehr aufgeregt, hierherzukommen. Ich mag Sand, ich mag Paris und alles hier,” she said, before acknowledging the tough road ahead.

She will face hard-hitting Australian Maya Joint in the first round, a dangerous floater who almost earned a seeding herself. “Offensichtlich ist es keine einfache Auslosung,” Potapova admitted, adding: “Wenn wir auf die Turniere in Madrid und Rom zurückschauen, haben wir viele Überraschungen gesehen.”

Potapova’s Candid Reflections

Potapova believes she is in the best form of her career despite an injury setback at the start of the season. “Ja, das kann ich sicher sagen, trotz der Verletzung zu Saisonbeginn, die mich etwas zurückgehalten hat.” She credited greater personal maturity and a “completely new attitude and different emotional access” for her improved resilience.

Her poodle “Baby” has become a traveling talisman. “Für mich ist sie ein Glücksbringer. Sie bringt mir ein bisschen Extra-Glück, überhaupt im Hotel, da ist eine andere Atmosphäre im Raum,” Potapova explained. The fluffy companion is a constant presence, including at her press conferences.

Should both Potapova and top seed Coco Gauff avoid early upsets, they would meet in a blockbuster third-round clash. Potapova refused to look that far ahead: “Es gibt noch viel Arbeit vor der dritten Runde. Ich bin nicht mal sicher, ob ich dort sein werde.”

A Poodle’s Paw for Luck

For Tagger, the immediate future lies on the grass and hard courts of the summer swing. The teenager leaves Paris with a first major main-draw appearance on her record and a clear sense that the work on her overhauled forehand grip is the right path forward—even if it didn’t deliver a victory this time.