From zero to one hundred within twelve months. Or better: from one among many to becoming the German number one in tennis. Hamburger Eva Lys has had a breathtaking 2025. But the biggest challenge probably only comes now.
Eva Lys’ tennis life can be divided with a clear conscience into the period before January 14, 2025 and the period after. Almost twelve months ago, the then 22-year-old from Hamburg took part in qualifying for a Grand Slam tournament, as she had done several times before. It wasn’t the first time that she lost in the last round, meaning she missed out on making it into the main draw of the Australian Open.
Turning point Australian Open
But then suddenly the tournament management in Melbourne called to get ready, the Australian Kimberls Birrell would be waiting on one of the show courts in 15 minutes. A competitor had canceled due to injury and she was drawn as a lucky loser. She can now compete in the main field as a replacement.
“That was the beginning of an incredible year. That turned my whole tennis life upside down.”
“Lucky Lys” in Melbourne
What happened next went down in German tennis history as the fairy tale of “Lucky Lys”. The North German not only won the first round game, but also made it to the round of 16 of the first Grand Slam tournament of the year. A whole new world opened up. “That was the beginning of an incredible year. That turned my entire tennis life upside down. Especially because I suddenly had the financial means to take a physio with me, for example,” says Lys, who collected prize money equivalent to around 230,000 euros in Melbourne.
After the fairy tale “Down Under”, Lys was in the top 100 in the world rankings for the first time. As a result, she no longer had to go through the strenuous qualifying process at many tournaments and was often assured of generous prize money. In total, she earned one million euros in 2025 and finished the season as number 40 in the world.
A new life away from the tennis court
But it wasn’t just life on the pitch that took a drastic turn. Even outside of it, little was the same as before. Lys was invited to the Aktuelles Sportstudio, filmed television commercials and had the logos of renowned sponsors on her clothing. Later in the year she was tossed around as German number one – the successor to Steffi Graf and Angelique Kerber.
She is aware that the comparison is still very flawed to this day. Also because she has her corrective at home. “I have a great family that keeps me down to earth and I think that’s nice,” explains Lys. “All tennis players strive to get into the top 100 in the world rankings, which makes life much easier.”
Autoimmune disease forces them to take breaks
However, the fact that Lys has it easy as a professional athlete does not correspond to reality. Above all, a chronic rheumatic autoimmune disease always limits her. “This illness has taught me that I have to listen very carefully to my body. When it says stop, I have to stop immediately, otherwise I might be out for a long time.” With a heavy heart, this sometimes leads to her withdrawing after reaching the quarterfinals, as she did in Cleveland, because she takes her body’s signals seriously.
Lys denounces hatred online
Another ongoing topic for the 23-year-old is hatred and agitation on social media platforms. Even before her fairytale rise, she had made hate messages public. These mostly came from bettors who had lost money after Lys matches because the result was not what they had bet on.
Even after the success at the Australian Open, Lys did not stop denouncing this phenomenon, from which many athletes worldwide suffer. “There are problems that you just have to talk about. My mother always told me to be loud about things like that. That also gives me more energy.”
Greatly improved in terms of gameplay
But the priority is work on the tennis court. Over the past twelve months, Lys has improved greatly in terms of play. Primary characteristic: aggressive play from the baseline, trying never to allow yourself to be pushed back. And even her greatest weakness, the serve, where she is naturally disadvantaged at just 1.65 meters tall, is slowly beginning to meet higher standards.
“Competitive sports aren’t always fun. But if I don’t enjoy tennis, I play way worse.”
However, their biggest trump card is grit and the joy of playing. This was best observed in the quarterfinals in Beijing in the fall against third-placed Coco Gauff in the world rankings. Despite defeat, a smile kept flashing across Lys’s face. She clearly enjoyed the – albeit ultimately unsuccessful – appearance on the big stage. Her simple explanation: “Competitive sports aren’t always fun. But if I don’t enjoy tennis, I play way worse.”
More difficult to stay at the top than to get to the top
The new year will now bring with it completely different challenges. Right at the start of the Australian Open 2026, Lys will feel the pressure of suddenly having to defend world ranking points. Enjoying tennis may help her. Plus her outstanding qualities: attitude and strong nerves. But above all – as a rheumatic – the summer sun of the southern hemisphere.
All in all, Lys can be trusted to establish herself among the world’s best. Provided your health cooperates. And that’s not an empty phrase for Eva Lys.
