Eva Lys Speaks Out Against Hate Messages in Tennis

The Hamburg tennis player Eva Lys recently published hate messages directed at her. She has received a lot of encouragement for this, she says.

Eliminated the Billy Jean King Cup with the German team on Friday morning: Eva Lys Photo: Frank Molter

taz: Ms. Lys, you were in the main round of the Australian Open this year, reached the second round of the US Open and are now playing in the prestigious final tournament of the Billie Jean King Cup. How do you look back on the season?

Eva Lys: That was my most successful season so far. I had incredibly good results last year and am very happy that I was able to top them this year. I have become physically fitter and my game is more stable. I’ve also continued to grow mentally and the head plays a very important role in tennis: you have to go onto the court with a lot of self-confidence. Thanks to the many matches over the course of the season, I’m getting better and better at this. I now know that I can beat top 100 players, that I am now one of the best.

You have already achieved a lot in tennis, especially for your age. With performance comes media attention and pressure. Does that sometimes bother you?

In fact, I like the attention. I know I really earned it this year. It’s a great validation when people tell me they enjoy watching me play tennis. Ultimately, that means that I do what I do well. And that’s exactly why I get up and train every day. I am also an extroverted person and am not afraid of being in public. Nevertheless, of course I also have days when I find it harder to cope with the pressure. But the challenge in tennis is not just the sporting performance. It’s also the surroundings: eating well, going to bed early if you have to, and the pressure.

Did you find it difficult to maintain this self-discipline as a teenager?

This was born into me. My father was a professional himself and still trains me today. So I grew up with it and I’m used to it. Of course, there were times when, after three training sessions a day, I would have preferred to go out with friends in the evening, but that wasn’t possible. But on the other hand, when I think about everything I’ve experienced through sport and all the places I’ve been, it’s worth it.

What is it like to have your own father as a coach?

Luckily we get along very well. Sure, sometimes we fight on the pitch and sometimes I get really annoyed with him. But there is no person who cares so much about me doing well and wants only the best for my career. Not all players have that kind of person, so I consider myself really lucky to have my father as a coach.

21, plays tennis at the Hamburg Club on the Alster. The Billie Jean King Cup is considered the most important team competition in women’s tennis. For Eva Lys, this year’s participation was her second appearance for the German national team. The German team was eliminated in the group phase of the final tournament. Lys is ranked 114th in the world tennis rankings.

At the end of October, after a tournament in Romania, you published hate messages that you received on social media. Compared to the Spiegel you said that you regularly get this from people who have bet on a game and are then disappointed to lose. Why did you decide to share this publicly now?

The bigger the tournament I play in, the more hate messages I get after losing a match. The semi-final in Romania was my biggest success so far at the professional WTA level. Afterwards I looked at my phone and read hundreds of similar messages and comments. Death threats, rape threats, threats of violence against my family – there were really bad messages. Tennis players experience this every week. And I just thought to myself: That’s enough. I think the first thing you can do about it is talk about it.

And how did it feel to make that public?

Very good. I received a lot of encouragement afterwards. Many people who have nothing to do with tennis had no idea that this problem even existed. I’m pleased that I helped bring attention to the topic. It is important to protect younger players in particular from this. I’m not a person who dwells on problems, so it feels good to take action. In this case: making visible what is happening. This is the first step.

What steps still need to be taken?

I don’t think we as players can or should answer this question. All we can do is make public what is happening. Afterwards, many organizations that are committed to combating hate online contacted me. Such organizations certainly have ideas for further steps.

2023-11-12 17:00:00
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