ROLAND GARROS

May 25, 2025

Eva Lys

Press Conference

E. LYS/P. Stearns

6-0, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Great start to your Roland Garros campaign. What were you most happy with your game today?

EVA LYS: I feel like the whole performance was pretty good from my side. I was happy that I was able to play the level I was playing constantly for two sets. I think that's the most important part, not to have the highs and lows, especially against players like Peyton. I'm really happy with my performance.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. What does it mean to you to get your first main draw win in Paris?

EVA LYS: I mean, I haven't had many main draw Grand Slam wins yet. So definitely having the first one here in Paris feels very special to me.

I think in this year I've come a long way. I've just been really trying to get the wins, especially against these good players. I've had some, yeah, tough draws the past tournaments and couldn't really make it.

So definitely having an insanely happy feeling after today's win.

Q. You are very active on social media. You put a lot of effort in delivering good quality content. How do you deal with this world of social media that can be sometimes a double-edged sword?

EVA LYS: I wouldn't say I put a lot of effort in. It just comes naturally. I'm just enjoying myself. I'm having fun.

I love being creative also outside of tennis, just trying to see tennis from a different perspective. I think that's one thing that I haven't seen many people do. I'm just enjoying myself.

Obviously social media has its ups and its downs. I'm just trying to see the positive way, put nice content out that people enjoy.

As in life, you always have the negative sides of it. When it gets too much, I openly speak about it 'cause I think it's important to also acknowledge the bad sides of it and do something about it.

But overall I have a very positive and nice community, which I'm really grateful for.

Q. Do you see it also as a business thing?

EVA LYS: I mean, I would say it's something like hobby/business. I haven't really seen it as a business because, again, it's just what I do outside the sport that just gives me a good feeling.

Maybe in the future it will open some more doors, but for now I'm hoping tennis will open the doors for me (smiling).

Q. When in general will you start to think about your next match and begin preparing for it? Separately, specifically here, what do you know about your next opponent?

EVA LYS: I haven't seen my next opponent yet, so I don't know anything about her 'cause I just came from court.

But, I mean, I'm trying to just enjoy my next days, keep on practicing, keep on doing what I do best. At the end of the day I don't care who's going to be on the other side. I'm just going to try, go out, have fun, do my best.

Q. Can I tell you?

EVA LYS: Please, no. Not yet (laughter). Thank you.

Q. What do you want to know? When will you know?

EVA LYS: Usually I find out somehow. Someone texts me. I'm not that strict. Obviously if someone came in and told me, I wouldn't be too mad about it. Now I'm trying to enjoy the win I had, especially today.

Today when I'm back in practice, I'll have my coach, my mom. My little sister is probably going to tell me who I'm playing so I can prepare and practice.

For today I'm just trying to enjoy what I have.

Q. I wanted to ask about your autoimmune condition that you spoke about recently, spondyloarthritis, is that right?

EVA LYS: Yes.

Q. What was the process of being diagnosed with that? I know it can be quite hard to get a diagnosis for.

EVA LYS: It took a while for me because I had a variety of symptoms, but they didn't come at the same time so we didn't really know.

I'm having my doctor back home in Hamburg, his name is Falker Carrero (phonetic). He's been with me since I'm 10 years old. I wouldn't be able to play tennis out him.

After just, like, yeah, evaluating the issues I've been having, he had this theory that it might be going into the arthritis, spondyloarthritis, direction. I mean, as soon as I heard it, I was just laughing about it. I'm like, Okay, I'm pretty young, I don't think it's going to be me.

Yeah, after we talked with the doctors and did some tests and everything, yeah, how do you say, the condition? I forget the word. Yeah, the diagnosis was there.

I think the first weeks it was weird 'cause I wasn't really, like, acknowledging it. Again, I've had around that time my worst issues. I was not on court. I was not able to play with it.

Yeah, I think the diagnosis was really important for me just to know what to do to get back on court. I think the doctors told me this is not going to keep me from being No. 1, if treated right. So I was always thinking about it.

The first months were tough. But I had a great family. I had great friends around me, and still do, which definitely helped me to go through this not by myself.

Q. Has there been a bit of a process of learning where your physical boundaries are, like the threshold of pain you shouldn't play through or train through?

EVA LYS: Yeah. I'm going to be honest, the diagnosis came 2020. We're in 2025. I would say this is the first year that I actually can say that I know how to deal with it, know how to deal with the practices I have, how hard I can push, when is the time to really just relax.

I mean, especially also in the last weeks, I'm not going to lie, I've had just days where my body was not doing what it's supposed to. Even like preparing here, maybe one or two practices less, 'cause it's something I have to do.

But I know that if I give my body time, it recovers. The next day I'm stronger than ever. I just need to find the right balance with regeneration and the practice process.

Q. I understand you speak several languages. Can you tell me what they all are? When you're playing tennis, what are you thinking in or speaking to yourself in?

EVA LYS: I mean, I grew up I think best language I speak is German. Then English. My parents are from Ukraine, so I speak Ukraine and Russian. Trying to learn Spanish. This is nothing I would talk in this press conference.

I have no clue. I'm switching so much. I feel like some topics I'm working on maybe, I don't know, I'm talking to myself in German. When I'm thinking about technique stuff, because I'm playing a lot with my dad, I switch to another language, Ukrainian. I feel like there's a big mix.

I have a lot of people asking me what language I dream in. I couldn't tell you. I feel like there's too many languages. There's definitely a lot going on in this head.