Speaking on the sidelines of the U.S. Open, the Hamburg native called for greater access to her sport in Germany.
If Eva Lys has her way, German tennis has a major problem. “Tennis is a very, very privileged sport in Germany and is usually only accessible to people who can afford it,” said Eva Lys on the sidelines of the U.S. Open in New York, where she will play her second-round match against French Open champion Mirra Andreeva on Thursday.
“I have a lot of friends who are in college now; they can’t afford to play tennis anymore,” Lys reported. “I’ve brought up this topic quite often with other German players.”
“The energy here is just different when it comes to the sport”
Where are things going much better? In the U.S., according to Lys. “It’s much easier to play tennis here. It’s much more accessible,” said the Hamburg native, pointing to the numerous free outdoor courts in New York. “Unfortunately, I have to criticize our country a bit in that regard. The energy here is just different when it comes to the sport.”
Lys had also recently criticized the conditions in her hometown of Hamburg. “There’s simply no professionalism there when it comes to top-level tennis,” the 24-year-old complained. According to her own statement, Lys therefore moved to Monaco about two months ago to take advantage of the better training conditions there.
