If you make a dwelling hitting a fuzzy yellow ball all over the world with a racket, Eva Lys may not be taken with courting you.
“Date a tennis player? No. Because I know what it takes to be in this business. It consumes so much of your life. I’m trying to keep my private life far away from the sport,” the 24-year-old German informed CLAY in an interview in Melbourne throughout the Australian Open 2026.
Lys captivates her followers by sharing on Instagram her love for style, time with pals and her presence at music festivals. But that very same publicity additionally makes her a simple goal for criticism when outcomes don’t go her manner.
“I show how much I enjoy my life… A lot of people hate seeing women having fun. I just say ‘Fuck the haters!’ If I can help even one person to be themselves and not care about the hate, I’ll be the happiest person ever,” the world No. 72 informed CLAY.
Authentic, open-minded and trustworthy, Lys believes extra gentle ought to be shed on homosexuality in males’s tennis, says she would hear provides from OnlyFans, as some gamers have already got, and displays on how she manages her psychological well being, which was not in a good place at occasions final 12 months.
“You need to be mentally a badass to be able to get to the top,” mentioned the Ukrainian-born participant.
Interview with Eva Lys
– Do you miss dwelling once you’re on the highway?
– Yeah. I’m normally one of many first to come back to the occasions, as a result of I at all times want a little bit extra time for my physique to regulate to the local weather and all the pieces. So as quickly as I lose, I simply wish to go dwelling. Except if I’m in Melbourne or in New York. I’m blissful at any time when I get to see my household again in Hamburg.
– This interview is just not going to be about tennis. We will not be going to speak about your forehand and how you’re adjusting your backhand.
– I like that, I really like to speak. Numerous journalists have attention-grabbing personalities, they may deliver so many attention-grabbing matters to press conferences, however the one factor they ask about is tennis, which is clearly the job we do. But I really feel like a lot of interviews may go in so many various methods — speaking about what a participant is like, their character. Because I really feel like a lot of individuals don’t even know how a tennis participant is in actual life.
– We wish to get to know the characters in-depth.
– That’s what followers like. At the top of the day, you see the individual on TV, and you join with them not solely due to what they do within the sport, however due to who they’re. Maybe you share pursuits, or a persona trait. I normally like humorous individuals. So when you don’t know how a participant is off the courtroom, it’s powerful to attach and construct a fan base. That’s what I at all times attempt to inform to everybody and push it to the WTA.
– Before the beginning of the Australian Open you had a fairly cool second: properly dressed, carrying fancy sun shades throughout a Lacoste occasion, posing for the cameras with Grigor Dimitrov on one facet and Novak Djokovic on the opposite.
– It was good. Both Novak and Grigor are nice personalities. I’m actually blissful that I’m working with Lacoste. It’s undoubtedly been a large milestone in my profession. It was my first activation with them, my first occasion. And truthfully, I simply received a very nice outfit. Have you seen the footwear? They have been wonderful! I informed the designers: “Listen guys, if you want to go crazy with me, you can.” I really feel like that’s lacking in tennis. Coco (Gauff) is doing it, Naomi (Osaka) is doing it, however there are such a lot of extra gamers who may.
– Do you dream of turning into a style icon in tennis?
– That’s a robust manner of claiming it. I don’t suppose I’ll ever speak about myself like that. To take the following step off courtroom, I know that I’ve to carry out properly on courtroom and thats my aim. I really feel that I can now categorical one thing I at all times needed to specific, particularly with style and exhibiting my very own persona.
– You’ve spoken about breaking the stigma that encompass feminine athletes. Can you go deeper into that?
– It comes from how we develop up. You’re taught that you need to play properly to deserve having enjoyable. If you win, you possibly can exit, meet pals. If you lose, you don’t deserve it — you need to return to work. But that’s not actuality. Instagram is just not at all times the life you’re dwelling, you present what you wanna present. And I present how a lot I take pleasure in my life.
– And that makes you a simple goal.
– Lots of people like my type, but in addition it makes me very attackable after I don’t carry out properly. People don’t see that I’m training seven hours a day. They don’t see the work of 20 years. And as quickly as you lose, they are saying: “Focus more on tennis, stop posting, stop going out.” People decide a lot. When I raised that topic on the podcast with Caro García, the humorous factor is that a lot of the detrimental feedback I received don’t come from athletes, and they don’t come from females. It’s largely males. At the top of the day, when you’re a girl having enjoyable outdoors of labor, the stigma remains to be stronger. And I simply wish to break that, inform individuals to do no matter they love to do. I do no matter makes me blissful.
– What makes you totally different on a tour that many occasions can really feel so structured?
– I’m simply making an attempt to be myself. I’ve at all times had it a bit totally different due to my well being, my physique. I’ve at all times needed to be bodily stronger, more durable, however arthritis at all times received in the best way. So I needed to discover stability. I wanted one thing outdoors tennis to remain sane. Everyone has struggles. Mine is arthritis, another person has one thing totally different. For me, crucial factor is pleasure. If I’m not having enjoyable, having fun with myself, I don’t play properly. If I put an excessive amount of strain in myself, if I’m nervous and I don’t sleep properly as a result of I wish to carry out properly within the subsequent match… I gained’t. I undergo in apply, three hours on courtroom each day. As quickly as I did my work, my health… I can exit and do no matter I need.
– How a lot do WTA gamers exit and occasion like the general public do?
– Some do. Players don’t usually speak about it overtly. Some others don’t do this in any respect. They are fully locked in, they’re solely specializing in tennis and don’t do something in addition to that. And that’s okay. Few women, as quickly because the event is completed, they wish to exit, have dinner, possibly occasion a bit. You will see me going out dinner, nonetheless I’m not large into partying. In tennis you might want to discover self-discipline, in any other case you lose health, you unfastened an excessive amount of when you cease a whole week. But everybody wants to search out their very own manner.
– You’re one of many prime 50 on this planet, you’ve a fascinating persona, and you’re additionally seen as each engaging and clever. How do you cope with that form of consideration with out letting it go to your head?
– (chortle) I really feel very fortunate to have a nice staff round me. I by no means actually take into consideration these issues. I simply attempt to be myself and share my experiences. My household retains me very humble. When I’m going dwelling, I’m nonetheless the identical Eva. I wanna present women they will gown the best way they like. Women get a lot hate for all the pieces they do. Lots of people hate seeing ladies having enjoyable. I simply say “Fuck the haters!” If I can assist even one individual to be themselves and not care concerning the hate, I’ll be the happiest individual ever.
– Do many tennis gamers get into your DMs?
– (laughter) I can not reply that. I’m gonna go away it with no feedback.
– Would you date a tennis participant?
– No.
– Why not?
– Because I know what it takes to be on this enterprise. It consumes a lot of your life. I’m making an attempt to maintain my non-public life distant from the game. For me, it’s refreshing to have pals and pursuits outdoors of the game. But you by no means know! For now, it’s a no.
– More and more players are joining OnlyFans: Nick Kyrgios, Alex Muller, Pedro Martínez, Arina Rodionova and Panna Udvardy are a few of them. Have you obtained any strategy from the platform?
– You gotta ask my administration! (laughter) I truthfully don’t know, not that I heard of. Good for them.
– Would you love to do one thing like that?
– That’s a good query. I at all times wish to hear what manufacturers have to supply. For now, I’m pleased with all of the manufacturers I’m working with, so can’t actually say that I might like to work with another person.
– Are you getting a lot of provides from sponsors?
– I wouldn’t say it’s getting via the roof, however you possibly can undoubtedly see that individuals began noticing me. That makes me blissful. At the top of the day I’ve at all times needed to earn money with the tennis and all the pieces that comes with it. I’m coming nearer and nearer to only being impartial…and that’s a good feeling.
– What do you make of the truth that homosexuality in males’s tennis has lengthy been seen as a taboo, and is simply now beginning to open up?
– Recently, a Swiss participant got here out (21-year-old Mika Brunold)… It’s definetly one subject that we haven’t heard from the male facet. It’s there, it’s an necessary subject. I used to be very blissful to know that gamers are feeling extra snug to come back out. It’s a powerful scenario for them, so it’s very courageous of them. We want to speak extra about it. It’s slowly getting raised, however the sport must voice it extra.
— Do you’re feeling the tour permits gamers to be themselves?
– All the tennis gamers on tour determine a lot with the outcomes they’ve: we receives a commission if we win. If we lose, we don’t get something. If your rating sinks your self esteem and your psychological well being suffers a lot with that. Numerous gamers have the identical emotions. Everyone loves you when you find yourself profitable, however if you’re dropping, nobody is there. That’s why you might want to have a good staff round you.
– Are gamers taking good care of their psychological well being?
– It’s getting higher. The sport is quicker, extra bodily, however what actually decides matches is usually the psychological facet. And off courtroom, psychological well being is absolutely necessary. Numerous gamers should work on their psychological well being. I’m doing it. I’m going to remedy. Last 12 months I had moments have been I wasn’t doing properly mentally. Pressure from your self and from the surface… so many elements that will get us nervous. That’s why I’ve insane respect for each who’s on the market within the prime 10, prime 20. Either if it’s ATP or WTA… as a result of you might want to be mentally a badass to have the ability to do all of that. When a colleague it’s in a unhealthy place I at all times attempt to be there and help them.
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