The German had some notable performances during the year, such as her appearance in the fourth round of the Australian Open and the quarterfinals in Beijing. Lys showed consistency in the big tournaments, finishing the year with a 10-7 record in WTA 1000 tournaments and 6-4 in Grand Slam main draws. The win in Beijing against Elena Rybakina marked her first victory against a top-10 player—precisely a few weeks before Rybakina went on an 11-match winning streak and claimed titles at the Ningbo Open and WTA Finals.
“It is no secret that it is a great publicity stunt to attract more attention to tennis. With whom else could something like this be achieved? With Nick Kyrgios, of course. I think they are the perfect match. You have to take it with a grain of salt,” added the World No. 40. “Tennis is still taken too seriously. You see matches like this in all other sports that are not taken so seriously. We will have to wait and see what the reactions are. I can’t say if it will be great for the sport or controversial, but it is a start to popularize it in some way.”
“The Tour is too long”: Lys sounds alarm on the modern calendar
Lys outlined the daily reality behind the scenes. “Nowadays, we don’t just play tennis. When we’re at tournaments, we have commitments, a lot of press appointments, physiotherapy, and we train eight hours a day. If you don’t rest, you reach your limit,” she said. “I feel it too, even though I’ve had to miss one or two tournaments for health reasons.”
Eva Lys at 2025 Roland Garros
The German player pointed to structural issues. “In all other sports, there’s a good pre-season where nothing happens. In tennis, it’s far too short,” Lys explained. “We have two weeks to take a holiday. Then we go back into pre-season, and by mid-December we’re off to Australia. Two-week events are incredibly demanding. As a result, there are fewer opportunities for other tournaments.”
Lys did not pretend the solution is simple. “This is already being discussed with the WTA,” she said. “I could talk about this topic for four hours because it affects almost every player.” In a sport where the 2025 WTA calendar spans more than ten months, her words reflect a concern shared quietly across the locker room—now voiced clearly, and on the record.
“I focus on my strengths”: Lys on facing taller opponents
“I wouldn’t consider myself disadvantaged. Every height has its advantages and disadvantages,” Lys said. “Of course, height is perfect for serving in this sport, and playing against someone like Rybakina is an incredible challenge. Coco Gauff also serves very well regularly, although she has her ups and downs sometimes. Anisimova also serves very well.”
Rather than framing height as a weakness, Lys focuses on what it demands tactically. “What makes them special is that they’re a bit taller than me,” she continued. “But I’ve never seen that as a weakness because I always try to focus on my strengths, which taller players might not have. For me, it’s important to do everything possible to get the most out of the data I have.”