Lys reflects on her rediscovered joy of playing tennis: "I realized I was identifying way too much with the results"
Lys continues to climb the ranks and now finds herself in the top 40. The German player, born in Kiev, Ukraine, must now gain consistency to maintain a certain ranking. A quarter-finalist at the Australian Open (where she was a lucky loser) and a quarter-finalist at the WTA 1000 in Beijing this year, among other achievements, Lys has shown that she is capable of beating the best players on the tour.
Indeed, she notably managed to defeat Elena Rybakina in the Chinese capital. However, things have not always been easy for her, as she explained in a recent interview for the Tennis Insider Club podcast hosted by Caroline Garcia.
"This is my first year in the top 100. I thought life would be easier, that I would have more money and fewer worries. But it was the complete opposite. I had so much pressure, I trained twice as hard, and just before Wimbledon, I realized that I wasn't having fun anymore, whereas I had always enjoyed playing. I realized that I was identifying way too much with the results.
I wanted to be Eva Lys beyond tennis. With my best results, people started giving me advice on what I should do, how I should play. I started listening to them and my expectations grew. I no longer enjoyed playing. I travel with my family. It's thanks to them that I am in the top 100. They told me: 'Eva, relax. Even if you lose ranking spots, even if you lose all your matches, you have the level. You will make it sooner or later. Take a deep breath.' At least, I have people by my side who tell me that, because the process is really intense.
I perform at my best when I don't worry about the results. If I get eliminated early in a tournament, I can go to the beach, everyone wins. There is a prejudice against female athletes: they have to sacrifice everything and not have fun. That's nonsense. Everyone is different. You can work hard, be disciplined, and still enjoy life.
My father (who is also her coach) had to learn a lot with me, because I am very sensitive and emotional. If he had pushed me in a traditional way, I probably would have quit. He adapted his coaching to my personality and my physical needs, like managing my arthritis, and that's why I can stay sane and continue to improve," Lys stated.
