As an adult, there is nothing quite as humbling as unfurling your hard-shell suitcase after a day of travel and setting up shop in your childhood bedroom. In film, this room often remains untouched; a perfect preservation of adolescent taste. For Eva Lys, a top 100 WTA player, content creator, and the face of Lacoste Women’s Tennis, no amount of international success on or off court could dissuade her mother from redesigning her childhood bedroom into an office. Laughing on Friday morning about this
shared camaraderie, as fate found us both chatting in the now bedroom-converted home offices we grew up in, I sat down with Lys in the midst of a particularly challenging part of her season.

2025 saw her break into the top 40 in the WTA rankings; a feat many tour-level players seek and will never achieve. At this year’s Australian Open, a knee injury would sideline her for two months, putting a pause in a season she was eager to continue building excellence upon. She extrapolates honestly, showcasing how, “at the end of the day, whether a tournament results in a 3rd or 4th round berth, a loss in the 1st, or dropped altogether—our preparation remains the same. The work, practices, recovery, all remain constant.” This routine is what players depend on, a dedicated meditation that provides stasis. Recently, this regimen became more resonant than ever, as Lys had to withdraw from The Prague WTA 250 due to a flare-up of her autoimmune spondyloarthritis, a diagnosis she has
lived with since 2020. Above all else, this year has taught her one imperative condition; time. Lys elaborates: “I’ve had to learn to accept the things out of my control. Trust in consistency, even during the bad days, is vital. My diagnosis is not a weakness, [rather] a strength that makes me slow down, revel in the wins that much more and recognize that the process of success is not linear.”

While this part of the season—between finishing out the European schedule and heading back to the States
for hard court tournaments—slows down for some, it presents a vital pocket for those looking to push through their rankings moving into the final Grand Slam of the year. Lys expounded that, “The U.S. Open swing is, for me, one of the most exciting parts of the calendar. I mean, it’s tough to pick and choose tournaments, because everything has its own vibe, but you just never know what might happen during these weeks.” Above all else, what Lys is eager for most is getting back to the “best
feeling ever,” winning. She reveres, “There’s just simply no way to explain the feeling of a win—it’s why we play. Being on court, putting in the work, and gruelling out a triumphant victory... I mean, I’m a very young person, I’m sure there’s a lot of beauty to be had outside of the lines; right now though, tennis is allowing me a sentiment I’ve never had anywhere else.”

As anyone who follows her social media knows, Lys’ online presence is marvelously earnest. Being true to herself, through her poise and wardrobe, continues to be her goal, always trying to get “a little more Eva...” onto the court. Lys is now at the forefront of tennis’ longstanding relationship between fashion and individual self-expression, becoming Lacoste’s Women’s Tennis Ambassador. When discussing her love of fashion and her admiration for the historic French label, she laughed about how ironic it is, “...[if] you talk to my mom, I have always been meticulous about my [tennis] outfits, even as a Junior player. The Lacoste signing has been one of my most cherished career highlights, because they are experts in harmonizing the on and off-court fashion. They noticed me, support me in whatever I set out to do, and let me be myself.”

Most notably, Lacoste tasked her with designing the launch campaign for the announcement, along with input on kits she has worn in various tournaments since. Lys credits inspirations of her youth: seeing Rihanna’s ANTI Tour in Hamburg, watching the films of Audrey Hepburn, studying the unbridled individualism of Anna Kournikova’s magmatic wardrobing in the 2000s, as well as her mother’s wisdom, as touchstones of her creativity and individuality.

With clay and hard court tournaments across Europe in a perpetual momentum, Lys has one thing left on her radar before her sights set west; “Getting [her] body right.” There is nothing like that incomprehensible moment when patience, skill, and execution culminate into victory, as she instills, “...if you’re not healthy. Tennis becomes the second thing in life. So long as you are feeling good, the tennis will always be there, and I’ve never been concerned about that.”

While the beginning of the season was not the desired result, it’s one bereft moment in the expanse of more to come. The joy, pain, anger, and whimsy all embed deeply into the marrow, making the chase that much more meaningful. With a profound understanding for patience and the beauty within remaining true to oneself, it’s hard to imagine Lys’ game ever going out of style.

Photographed by Justin Wu

Styled by Emily Gray

Written by Klayton Ketelle

Hair: Mandy Jacobs at Judy Inc using L’Oréal Professionnel

Makeup: Aniko Tar using Merit Beauty

Production: Steven Branco 

Flaunt Film: Shayne Gray

Photo Assistant: Benjamin Dunlop

Style Assistant: Cassandra Phillips-Grande