WTA Star Rejects Narratives to Locker Room Controversy: "Just Human Nature"
Just last month, American pro Sachia Vickery didn’t hold back when asked about locker room culture on tour. She called it “super fake and two-faced,” even claiming that players often talk behind each other’s backs . Naturally, that got plenty of people wondering what really goes on behind the scenes. But not everyone sees it that way. Eva Lys, for one, seems to have a very different take on life inside the locker room.
The German star believes it’s really not a big deal if some players don’t get along. After all, not everyone is going to click, and that doesn’t automatically mean there’s any bad blood between them.
“I feel like it’s similar to school, you have your class, and some people get along, some don’t. That’s just human nature. Some groups click, some don’t. It doesn’t mean there’s bad blood, it’s just not always a match,” Lys said on the Changeover podcast.
Lys also pointed out that a player’s on-court persona doesn’t always reflect who they are off it. Someone can be fiercely competitive during a match and still be warm, friendly, and easygoing away from the court. She’s a great example of that herself, having built close friendships with fellow players like Paula Badosa, Coco Gauff, and Marta Kostyuk, even in such an intensely individual sport.
“On court, we’re opponents. Off court, we can be cool with each other. It’s no secret that we’re all trying to beat each other. Whenever I go out there, I want to win. As long as there’s respect, you can do whatever you need to do on court to win against me. Even if I’m friends with someone, like Coco, if she somehow uses something to beat me, then bravo to her. I’ll do the same,” she continued.
Lys may be very competitive on the court but she avoids getting into conflict with other players when she’s not playing.
“I don’t have any bad blood with anyone, and I hope no one has it with me. I’m just not that type of person. I hate drama. I really need harmony in my life.”
However, the World No. 72 also admitted that it is hard to keep a check on emotions, particularly after she faces friends in tough matches.
“After a tough loss, I want to be away from everyone, including them. I remember talking to Paula after one of our matches, it was so close, just a couple of points. If I had lost, I would have been devastated. Those matches are really tough emotionally,” she further said.
She was recently involved in such a contest against Paula Badosa at the Stuttgart Open. After losing the first set, Lys went on to make a remarkable comeback and won the match 2-6, 7-5, 6-4. After the match, she was even seen apologizing to Badosa as the two shook hands on the court.
While Eva Lys is known for her calm and composed demeanor, she also knows exactly when to stand her ground. That’s exactly what she did by slamming the German media for their negative coverage about Lys.
Eva Lys openly challenges German media’s tone of coverage
“I am increasingly wondering where German sports journalism is developing. Basically, I welcome any form of reporting. Especially in women’s sports, which haven’t gotten the attention it deserves in a long time. However, even more important would be a differentiated and respectful tone,” she had written in an Instagram story last month.
Though Lys does know how to accept criticism, she argued that the media was constantly trying to bring her down through their consistently negative headlines.
“What I always notice is the consistently negative grounding of many headlines and comments. Criticism is, of course, part of sports. But the way it is often formulated seems much more devaluing than constructive.”
These statements came after Lys had been out of action for a long period in the wake of an injury she sustained earlier this year in Sydney. The injury involved a hyperextension that caused a completely torn lateral tendon. As a result, she had to spend more than two months on the sidelines.
Though Lys had managed to return at the Miami Open, she wasn’t able to produce impressive results. The German had suffered a 1-6, 4-6 defeat to Yuliia Starodubtseva in the first round of the tournament. She got knocked out in the first round again at the Charleston Open, this time against Katie Volynets who triumphed 7-5, 2-6, 0-6.
Things didn’t get better for Lys in Stuttgart either as Elina Svitolina got the better of her in the second round. Finally, the German suffered another first-round exit at the Madrid Open, this time at the hands of Zhang Shuai.
It is safe to say that Lys hasn’t looked the same since coming back from injury. It remains to be seen if she will be able to improve her form at the Rome Masters, which will be the final tournament that she will play before the French Open.
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