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The German tennis hope Eva Lys has had to cancel tournaments several times. The reason: She suffers from an autoimmune disease.
Hamburg – Eva Lys, a 22-year-old aspiring German tennis player, occasionally has to pause. She has to be particularly careful with her body because she suffers from spondyloarthritis, an inflammatory rheumatic disease. However, she doesn’t let her illness stop her from pursuing her sporting dreams.
German tennis player Eva Lys makes her illness public
Lys, who is currently ranked 146th in the world and comes from Hamburg, shares her journey openly with her fans. “I am reaching out to you today with a personal message that is very close to my heart because I would like to share my sporting journey with you,” she writes in a detailed Instagram post. She reveals that her illness was diagnosed in 2020 and states: “This is a physical challenge that I have to face every day in addition to the physical strain.”
Despite her illness, Lys doesn’t give up and continues to pursue her dream of a tennis career. “Thanks to the great support and treatment from my medical team, I can still pursue my sporting dream and get the best out of myself,” she emphasizes.
Eva Lys is considered the great German hope in tennis. Now she is making her illness public. © picture alliance/dpa | Frank Molter / Instagram @eva.lys
After learning about her illness: Lys receives many positive reactions
However, she occasionally has to adjust her plans when her health doesn’t allow it. Lys, who has already been in the main draw at the Australian Open and US Open and scored for the German team in the Billie Jean King Cup, has received nothing but positive reactions to her revelation. These “gave her a lot of courage,” said Lys when asked by the SID. She added: “I thought for a long time about making my illness public because it shouldn’t be an excuse for losing matches.”
Her main concern was to explain why she occasionally has to cancel tournaments at short notice. “Now it’s out, and that made me a bit relieved,” says the athlete, who has Ukrainian roots. Lys is not the first tennis player to suffer from an autoimmune disease. Former world number one Caroline Wozniacki was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis in 2018. “I couldn’t lift my arms, my shoulders hurt, my elbows, my hands and my feet,” said the Dane, who announced her retirement at the beginning of 2020 but returned to the tour in 2023.
German tennis hope Lys wants to compete regularly at Grand Slams
Wozniacki is currently in strong form and Lys also wants to attack. So far this year she has competed at WTA level in Canberra, Melbourne and most recently in Dubai in February. Your goal is to crack the top 100 and then present yourself permanently at the Grand Slams.
Lys’ confidence has grown over the years. She was often told during her sporting career that she was “too weak for it,” Lys wrote in her post: “It made me even stronger. I am confident that my passion for the sport will continue to drive me.”
Australian Open winner Aryna Sabalenka has to cope with a tragic loss. Her partner, former professional ice hockey player Konstantin Koltsow, died at the age of 42. (msb/dpa)
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2024-03-21 18:03:50
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