Sad as it is, Eva Lys might be navigating one of the toughest stretches of her young career, even though she’s currently Germany’s top tennis talent. Her recent run at the Hong Kong Open didn’t help, with Leylah Fernandez taking her out in just an hour and eight minutes in her second match. But what’s more troubling is that the 23-year-old continues to deal with the darker side of being in the spotlight.

After speaking publicly about the hate messages she’s received, Eva Lys has now revealed even more disturbing encounters, this time involving stalkers. “I also recently had to deal with stalkers who had obtained the addresses of training grounds, hotels and even the room numbers,” she told the weekly German newspaper Die Zeit. It’s a jarring reminder of how vulnerable even top players can be, and just how much off-court pressure someone like Lys is forced to confront while trying to compete at the highest level.

“That crossed every line,” she added. Eva Lys even explained that some individuals had become “obsessed” with her, crossing every boundary of personal safety. However, working with the WTA, she has put new security measures in place to protect herself, she added. She also opened up about the steady stream of hateful messages and threats she receives online after losses, some of which she shares publicly to show the reality players face.

For years, Lys said the issue was brushed aside. “But it was hushed up for a long time,” she admitted, adding that she refused to stay silent any longer. In her view, “If you don’t talk about it, nothing will ever change,” despite being told repeatedly to just ignore the comments and move on.

Lys revealed that the abuse started when she was just 16. “After every defeat. A thousand hate messages sent directly to my inbox,” she said. Many of the threats were graphic, including violent descriptions targeting her, her mother, or her family. This has become so routine that she avoids Instagram right after matches because she knows what’s waiting there.

She emphasized again that speaking out is essential, noting that she had been encouraged for years not to address the abuse publicly. But she now believes staying silent only protects the abusers.

A WTA study in 2024 highlighted how widespread the problem is, identifying 8,000 violent comments out of 1.6 million posts reviewed. More than 450 players received hate messages within a single year, and authorities opened 12 investigations. Lys is now considering reporting more of the threats she receives, just as she recently did following her loss to Coco Gauff at the China Open

Eva Lys confronts trolls and exposes online hate

Despite putting up a strong fight, Lys couldn’t push through, losing 3-6, 4-6 in straight sets against the World No. 3 in Beijing. But what followed was far worse than the defeat.

Last month, The Tennis Letter posted one of her Instagram stories on X, showing a screenshot of a disturbing message she received after her Beijing quarterfinal loss. The account wrote, “Eva Lys shares a terrible message she received on IG… Awful, sick people.” The message shown in the screenshot was filled with insults and aggressive language, highlighting the level of abuse she continues to face.

Lys then reposted that message on her Instagram story with a reminder to her followers: “And let’s not forget the reality whenever we lose a match.” Sharing it wasn’t just about defending herself; it was her way of showing fans what players deal with behind the scenes.

Unfortunately, this kind of harassment is not new in tennis. Lys’s experience mirrors what Naomi Osaka went through when she received a cruel message after posting a photo from the 2022 Tokyo Olympic Torch Relay. The troll told her they hoped she would “never win another Major,” a comment that affected Osaka so deeply she stepped away from social media for a while.

So, what more can tournaments and governing bodies do to ensure players like Eva Lys feel safe both online and off the court? What do you think?