Eva Lys (Photo by Graham Denholm/Getty Images)
PARIS — She’s creative on court, with a mix of shots and speeds that bring a fresh energy to the tour. And she’s just as spontaneous on social media, where her unique sense of humour stands out. Welcome to the world of Eva Lys.
“I love being creative. I try to see tennis from a different perspective — I think it’s something not many people do.”
The 23-year-old German is one of the WTA’s rising stars. She’s drawing fans in with her entertaining game and magnetic personality, amplified by the videos she shares on Instagram and TikTok.
“I don’t really put much effort into creating content — it just comes naturally! I enjoy life, I have fun,” she said in a press conference, responding to a question from RG after her first career win at Roland Garros. Lys defeated 28th seed Peyton Stearns of the United States 6–0, 6–3.
“Social media has its ups and downs, but I try to focus on the positive side — sharing nice content that people enjoy. And well, like in life, there are always negatives. When things get really bad, I talk openly about it, because I think it’s also important to acknowledge the dark side and try to do something about it,” she said, reflecting on the double-edged nature of social media, which can often fuel hate and resentment.
“Overall, I have a really kind and positive community,” added Lys, who has 183,000 followers on Instagram and 36,700 on TikTok.
Germany’s No. 1 player makes the most of her travels on tour by posting content beyond the courts, often with a tourist or food focus. She also brings fans closer to the action and shares behind-the-scenes glimpses of life at tournaments.
Balancing Brands and Authenticity
Lys promotes products and collaborates with brands. She shares sponsor content — including Porsche, La Roche-Posay, and Asics — in an organic way that aligns with the message she wants to convey.
Her case is somewhat reminiscent of Emma Raducanu’s, though on a different scale: brands see in Lys a personality who connects well with the public thanks to her charm, ease in front of the camera, physical beauty, and multicultural background.
“It’s kind of a hobby slash business, but I haven’t really seen it as a business, because it’s just something I do outside of sport that makes me feel good. And maybe in the future it will open more doors, but for now, I hope it’s tennis that does that,” she told in the press room at Court Philippe Chatrier.
Multicultural Roots and Bright Future
The German was born in Kyiv. Her Ukrainian parents moved to Hamburg when she was two years old. Her father, Vladimir — a former professional player who represented Ukraine in Davis Cup — still coaches her today.
With that background and a fascination for languages, Lys is a polyglot. She speaks fluent German, Ukrainian, Russian, and English. She’s currently learning Spanish.
“Maybe I talk to myself in German. But when I’m thinking about technical stuff — since I play a lot of tennis with my dad — I switch to Ukrainian. I feel like it’s a big mix. A lot of people ask me what language I dream in. I honestly don’t know,” she laughed.
Melbourne catapulted her to stardom in an unexpected way. She had lost in the final round of qualifying at the 2025 Australian Open, and only found out she had made it into the main draw as a lucky loser ten minutes before her first-round match.
Her run there was impressive: she reached the round of 16, where she lost to Iga Swiatek.
In Paris, she has the chance to break into the top 50 for the first time if she keeps advancing — and to create more content for her social media in a city that never fails to surprise.
Journalist. Founder of CLAY, a global tennis media platform. Since 2012, Sebastián has covered multiple international events for various sports outlets, including the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Tennis is his specialty, and his yearly calendar is built around four essential stops: the Australian Open, Roland Garros, Wimbledon, and the US Open. His love of travel has also shaped his work beyond sports, inspiring travel chronicles from unique journeys — like crossing the Australian desert in a van or exploring a tourist-free Japan during the pandemic — published in travel magazines.
