Eva Lys returns to the place where her career suddenly changed with a big smile and a lot of self-confidence.
For the 24-year-old, Melbourne is more than just the starting signal for the new Grand Slam season, it is the stage for her breakthrough. A year ago, the Hamburg native wrote her own little tennis fairy tale as a “lucky loser” and stormed into the round of 16 at the Australian Open.
She is now the German number one and is ranked 39th in the WTA rankings ahead of the Australian Open. And Lys feels that the signs have changed.
With success comes the pressure of expectations, as the 24-year-old herself recognized: “They generally say that the second year on the tour, when you’re in the top 100, is the most difficult,” explained Lys on Saturday, “because then you have to confirm everything you did last year.”
She has a lot to lose in Melbourne: No other tournament has brought her as many world ranking points as the Australian Open last year, so the thought of defending the points and position in the world rankings is also present.
Osaka could wait for Lys in round two
“Of course the thought is always there, that certainly brings with it a certain amount of pressure,” admitted Lys, but at the same time emphasized her approach: “I never really looked at the points – and whenever I did that, I played best.” It is exactly this mindset that she wants to take with her into the new tennis year: focus on her own game and not on arithmetic games in the rankings.
In terms of sport, the tournament begins with a demanding task for Lys. In the first round she will face the experienced Romanian Sorana Cirstea on Tuesday (1:00 a.m. German time). The German won her only duel so far against the 35-year-old. Lys remembers: “It was a good match for me. I’m sure I really like their game. I have a good feeling about it,” said Lys.
A real highlight could await in round two: a possible duel with four-time Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka.
