The German tennis player discusses her past financial struggles on a U.S. podcast. She also explains her success online.
Eva Lys has recently established herself in the top 100 of the world rankings and has since been able to make a good living from her sport. That hadn’t always been the case before, as she now reported on the podcast “Nothing Major Show.” “I have a very strange relationship with my finances, because my whole life that’s always been a major concern,” Lys said.
Until last year’s Australian Open, when she celebrated her breakthrough by reaching the round of 16, the 24-year-old had worried every year that poorer results would leave her in financial straits. “Because even though you earn money starting at No. 120, you’re not really in the black in your bank account if you spend everything on travel and things like that,” Lys said. “After I received my first paycheck from the Australian Open, I knew: I don’t have to worry this year. That was definitely a really great feeling—one of the best I’ve ever had, to be honest.”
Lys is coached by her father and has had her family’s support since the start of her career. This season, the Hamburg native has repeatedly struggled with physical issues. After a protracted knee injury in the spring, she most recently had to withdraw from her first-round match in Toronto. From a financial standpoint, Lys’s social media activity is also helping her during this phase.
“What a lot of people don’t understand is that I can actually make some money through social media,” she said. “It gives me a bit more financial security, which helps me cope with injuries. Of course, I do it for fun, but especially since last year, it’s somehow also become part of my brand.”
Lys, who currently has around 365,000 followers on Instagram, could return to the court at the tournament in Cincinnati (starting August 13) following her latest injury layoff. She has at least arranged to meet with the two podcast hosts, Sam Querrey and John Isner, off the court.
