The ITF’s ‘Class of…’ series recognises and celebrates players who have had a successful year on the ITF World Tennis Tour, identifying the year’s most promising and breakthrough talents, and those predicted to go on to bigger and better things next year.

A six-letter name that you’ll likely see a lot more of in 2023: Eva Lys.

Ukrainian-born and German bred, the 20-year-old from Hamburg has been something of a quietly emerging star on the ITF World Tennis Tour this year.

No big, brash breakthrough, more a steady evolution of both game and guile, and one that has seen her climb 224 places in the WTA rankings since the turn of the year to a career high No. 123 – putting the top 100 firmly in her sights.

In a 2022 season peppered with milestones, Lys’ highlights include making her WTA main draw debut in Stuttgart (where she beat Viktorija Golubic to earn a test against world No. 1 Iga Swiatek); her Grand Slam qualifying debuts at Wimbledon and the US Open; and a debut for her country - and a winning one at that - as Germany saw off Croatia in the Billie Jean King Cup play-offs.

But it was through weekly combat on the ITF World Tennis Tour that Lys honed both her craft and confidence. She made quarter-finals at W25 Birmingham, W60 Nur Sultan and W100 Wiesbaden, a semi-final on Slovakian soil at W60 Trnava, and ended the year with her biggest title - and then most significant final - to date.

Lys built on her last-four finish of the week before to defeat home favourite Anna Karolina Schmiedlova and claim her third ITF singles title at another edition of W60 Trnava in mid-October, before finishing runner-up to Olympic silver medallist Marketa Vondrousova at W100 Shrewsbury.

“I’ve had an amazing year, but my progress is not too fast,” reflected Lys, referring to the fact that 2022 is technically her fourth season on the ITF World Tennis Tour.

Granted, she wasn’t a breakout star in juniors – having peaked at No. 66 in the girls’ rankings in October 2022 – but Lys, who speaks four languages and delivers her English with an American twang as a result of “watching a lot of Netflix!”, has a wise head on young shoulders. She knows well that comparing her tennis journey with others is futile.

“Everyone has their own path,” she says. “Some people are in the Top 100 really early, others arrive there a lot later. I think it’s important not to focus on other players. The best example is Emma Raducanu. She went from 0 – 100 (mph) so fast. That’s amazing but it’s important not to think that’s the path I also have to go. I think it’s pretty individual. You have to focus on your own path and see where it goes.”

Lys’ tennis career seems to be shaping up rather nicely and, with the Australian Open just around the corner, she is aware that just one or two well-timed results can elevate her to a new stratosphere in the sport.

One thought that is really motivating me is that I’ve never been closer to where I want to be, where I want to go

“I can’t lie, I’m very excited,” she said. “My mind is a lot on Australia, but in a good way. One thought that is really motivating me is that I’ve never been closer to where I want to be, where I want to go. Every tournament right now is just such a great opportunity.

“I know I have the level. I’ve been beating great players this year. I’m just trusting the process, seeing where I can go, but I’m feeling very confident on court and I’m enjoying my game. I don’t think I’ve ever enjoyed this game as much as right now so... I’m going to see where it goes.”

Lys’ game is easy on the eye. Though just five-foot-five, her groundstrokes – polished on both flanks - pack a hefty punch for a player of her stature, and she’s always eager to get on the front foot. Her serve, if anything, is the focus of her attentions from a technical point of view, but as with many players: it is consistency that’s central to achieving her ambitions.

“I think I have really good shots but it’s important for me to be more consistent,” says Lys. “Not too many highs and lows. That’s the main thing I’m working on. To play the level I can play more often.”

"Everyone has doubts sometimes. Everyone has emotional ups and downs. I’ve been trying to work on it, especially this year"

Given the tennis pedigree of her family, it is easy to understand why her game already appears pretty slick. Her father, Vladimir, who alternates accompanying Lys to tournaments with her mother, Maria, played Davis Cup for Ukraine, while her sister, Lisa Matviyenko was also a former travelling pro.

“She’s the main reason I started,” said Lys. “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.”

Lys also credits the Deutscher Tennis Bund for their “great support” and forms a part of the Federation’s Porsche Talent Team along with fellow German rising stars Noma Noha Akugue and Jule Niemeier, but family remains the single biggest inspiration for her burgeoning achievements.

Their influence, and calming presence at tournaments, appears key to her seemingly laid-back attitude.

So is she as cool on court as she seems off it?

“I would say that I’m a pretty relaxed person, but sometimes my mind is just killing me from the inside,” she says, laughing. “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.”