German rising star Eva Lys gets along great with her supposed rivals. And she shares insights on social media.
Eva Lys was beaming as she took her seat after her opening-round victory. “I think you can see that I’ve worked hard on my fitness,” said the German rising star after her decisive 6-3, 6-0 win over Croatia’s Petra Marcinko at the French Open—and then went on to discuss another topic that’s garnering a lot of attention in the tennis world.
Time and again, Lys appears on social media in friendly company with supposed rivals. “People used to say that friendships in sports aren’t possible. Or that if you’re a competitor, it’s not possible. But for me, it was different from day one,” said Lys.
French Open: Lys to Face Cirstea
Before the tournament began, she appeared in a video wearing an evening gown alongside birthday girl Alexandra Eala, the rising star from the Philippines, American Iva Jovic, and Turkish player Zeynep Sönmez.
They all understood “how much you have to give up” to succeed in the sport, according to Lys: “They’re just girls who have the same daily routine.” She also has a really good relationship with Paris title defender Coco Gauff, Ukrainian Marta Kostjuk, and Spaniard Paula Badosa. “It’s definitely not superficial, which is nice,” said Lys.
But now, in the French capital, Lys’s focus is primarily on the experienced Romanian Sorana Cirstea, who is her next opponent on Wednesday.