Eva Lys reveals the reason for her poor season: a chronic illness
Seven victories in nine months of the season is enough to ask ourselves what is happening to Eva Lys in 2026. Why is someone who was fighting to be in the top 30 now struggling to stay in the top 100?
Eva Lys was meant to be much more than the best German player of this generation. That was the feeling she left us with in 2025 after seeing her break into the top 40 and reach the second week of a Grand Slam for the first time. A year later, the disappearance of the German from the main stage is absolute.
However, we are not here to take random shots or criticize without being informed first. As is always the case in every aspect of life, every event has an explanation, even if we are not always aware of it. This time, it has been the player herself who has revealed the health problem she suffers from and which has often prevented her from competing on the courts at 100% of her abilities. Her words in this interview with Tenis Brasil will help us put each piece together.
Lys does not hide that there is a physical explanation behind much of her problems. The German has been living with spondyloarthritis since 2020, a chronic condition that affects the spine and joints and impacts her preparation and schedule. “It’s something I live with every day and will continue with me as long as I keep playing. I have to be more cautious,” explains the current #99 in the WTA rankings.
She asserts that her body has forced her to modify even the planned training sessions when she wakes up not feeling well. The situation has caused Lys to face a reality that is particularly complicated for a professional tennis player, as she cannot always plan her schedule long-term. “I don’t make too many plans for the future, because I know everything will depend on how my body feels,” she acknowledges. And this 2026 has pushed that difficulty to the limit. “This has been the hardest year I have lived. I tried to push myself to the limit, but my body has asked me to slow down.”
Two months, the time for Lys to change the dynamic
The German believes this situation explains the ups and downs she has experienced during the season and the limited number of matches she has been able to compete in. “That’s why I haven’t been able to play many matches and have had ups and downs physically,” she notes. This week, at the WTA 250 in São Paulo, where she is seeded fifth, she admits her expectations are moderate. Her main goal, before debuting against Gabriela Ce, is to feel good physically and accumulate matches.
The contrast with the start of the year is particularly significant. In the United Cup, Lys took Iga Swiatek to the third set and was close to defeating the Pole. That performance seemed to confirm that she was ready to take another step forward [...] Months later, the native of Kyiv recalls that match as a source of motivation. “I know I am on the right path, but I need to be physically strong to face these players,” explains the woman who has a record of 7-16 this year.
The most recent example came at the US Open, where she faced Mirra Andreeva. Lys acknowledges that she felt that sensation of playing good tennis again, but physically she did not feel prepared to compete at the highest level against a top 10. Therefore, rather than seeking an exclusively tennis-related explanation for her 2026, the German focuses on learning to listen to her body. “I believe things are going to improve now,” she states optimistically.
This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Eva Lys revela el motivo de su mala temporada: una enfermedad crónica