Joining Naomi Osaka's agency to meeting Iga Swiatek days later: Australian Open lucky loser Eva Lys' unlikely story

From losing in the qualifiers to making the Australian Open's second week, and joining Naomi Osaka’s agency to setting up an Iga Swiatek showdown, Eva Lys has had a whirlwind of a fortnight. And her stay Down Under is set to extend just a little longer.

The German lost the final qualification round to Destanee Aiava but was in for a surprise when Anna Kalinskaya pulled out of the tournament at the last minute. A 10-minute notice and she was out on court against Kimberly Birell for their first-round clash. Lys had no practice but none of that reflected in her 6-2, 6-2 victory over the home hope.

The run has developed into a bit of a dream for the youngster, who finds herself in the second week of a Slam for the first time in her career after wins over Varvara Gracheva and Jaqueline Cristian. She also made Australian Open history by becoming the first lucky loser to reach the last 16. To add to the delight, Osaka’s agency, Evolve, welcomed her to the family in a social media post a few days ago.

Osaka had let go of her agency, IMG, back in 2022 in a bid to set up her own sports management firm which took the shape of Evolve. She was supported in the endeavor by her agent Stuart Duguid.

The agency has been poaching some big names, with Ons Jabeur having jumped ship in 2023. Big names including the two-time Australian Open defending champion and World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka and Anna Kalinskaya have also deserted bigger names in the industry for Evolve. One then can only expect Lys to be well-represented going forward.

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Eva Lys is set to meet Iga Swiatek in the Australian Open fourth-round

Eva Lys after beating Jaqueline Cristian at the 2025 Australian Open. (Source: Getty)

The third-round contest was a big chance for Eva Lys and Jaqueline Cristian. A win would guarantee a new career high for the German and the feisty Romanian, whose rise up the rankings had been derailed due to a horrific injury sustained at Doha in 2022.

Lys held her nerve better and ensured a top-100 debut with the 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 win. She could always hit the ball big, even during her junior days, but the consistency and improved shot selection have been the key to her success.

Tennis runs in the family for Lys. Her father, Vladimir, and mother, Maria, represented Ukraine, her birth country. She credits her sister Lisa for setting her off on the path of a tennis career.

“[My sister] is the main reason I started,” Eva Lys had told ITF in a 2022 interview. “I’ve been travelling with her from such an early age and I still look up to her. She’s not playing anymore, she started studying law, but she’s very much in the tennis business helping me out, being at practice and just giving me big sister advice.”

A showdown against Iga Swiatek beckons for the big-hitter but she is unfazed by the magnitude of the clash. Instead, she goes about her business with a beaming smile, joking about having to repeatedly push her flight as she keeps on winning during her post-match pressers and so on.

This is new territory for Eva Lys but she has played big matches. Three Tour-level semifinals, mostly in Europe, saw her become quite a crowd favorite in 2022. She likes interacting with the fans and keeping this breezy. Having that mindset works for her she says.

“I think every tennis player has it. Everyone has doubts sometimes. Everyone has emotional ups and downs. I’ve been trying to work on it, especially this year. I’m trying to take my life a bit less serious and enjoy the things that you can enjoy. It’s been working for me,” Eva Lys said in the 2022 interview with ITF.

The German will step out on court, the biggest she possibly has in her young career, with nothing to lose for her fourth-round clash against Swiatek. If she can continue to have fun and enjoy her tennis, even a negative result on the day is unlikely to stop her progress in the long term.