Lys reflects on her performance in Australia: "Djokovic congratulated me, I was flabbergasted".
Eva Lys was one of the great revelations of the Australian Open.
The 23-year-old German, who was drawn into the main draw in Melbourne after losing out in the last round of qualifying, went on to reach the last 16.
The native of Kiev in the Ukraine was then eliminated by world number 2 Iga Swiatek. Her performance earned her over €250,000 in prize money.
In an interview with Bild, the player now ranked 91st in the world reflected on her crazy fortnight in Australia.
"The best moment of my sporting life was when I entered the main draw as a lucky loser fifteen minutes before the first match (against Kimberly Birrell, win 6-2, 6-2).
I didn't have much time to prepare, but that's why I stayed at Melbourne Park for three days and kept myself ready.
Then the opportunity arose, and I tried to seize it. Novak Djokovic congratulated me on Instagram, and I was stunned. It was a powerful moment.
When we saw each other during the tournament, he said, 'Great run, keep it up'. I'm grateful for every kind word I received over the two weeks.
My goal this year is to play like I did at the Australian Open. I'd be happy to stay in the top 100 for good. But at the same time, it's important for me to take good care of my body", she assures us.
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