Eva Lys was stunned when she learned how much prize money she earned (Image: Instagram @australianopen)
Eva Lys was astonished after learning how much prize money she banked for her fairytale run at the .
The world No. 128 lost in the final round of qualifying but got into the main draw as a lucky loser with a few minutes’ notice.
Lys made it all the way to the fourth round before crashing out, and she has pocketed £214,800 (AUD$420,000) for her efforts.
The German became one of the stories of the tournament when she suddenly got the call up to compete in the main draw last Tuesday. Lys was informed that she would be facing Aussie wildcard Kimberly Birrell around 10 minutes before taking to the court and rushed on with no practice.
She beat Birrell and went on to win her next two matches, booking a fourth-round showdown with world No. 2 . The five-time Major winner ultimately put a stop to Lys’ run, winning 6-0 6-1.
It was still a dream week for Lys, who has twice had to rearrange her flights home and is now set to enter the world’s top 100 for the first time. And there’s another huge incentive to her fourth-round finish.
Lys will pocket £214k in prize money. But she had no idea just how big the cheque was for reaching the second week of a Grand Slam, as she previously never made it beyond round two at any of the Majors.
Eva Lys’ fairytale run ended in the fourth round (Image: Getty)
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The 23-year-old was informed of the six-figure prize pot during an interview after her loss to Swiatek on Monday, and she was left in shock. Lys’ jaw dropped as a presenter told her it was “420 grand” in Australian dollars.
The world No. 128 couldn’t believe it, looking around with her mouth still wide open. “Did you not know that? As if no one has brought that up,” the presenter asked.
“Because I never went that far in a tournament,” Lys explained. “That is insane, that is a number I’ve never even heard in my life.”
Since turning pro less than four years ago, Lys has earned a total of £655k in prize money throughout her career. At her latest tournament, the Brisbane International, she earned £3,559 for losing in the first round of qualifying.
It’s been a life-changing run for Lys in many ways and, despite suffering a heavy defeat against Swiatek, she leaves Australia with great memories.
“It’s definitely I think the nicest week I’ve had in my life just because it wasn’t really only about the result, but also about the whole story,” she explained.
“I mean, getting in as a lucky loser last minute on the last day where it was possible, changing the flights, winning first time, winning second time, making it to top 100, I mean, this is the week I’ve been working for for ages.”
Explaining just how much it meant to her, the German added: “I was always waiting for that moment. I’ve had a lot of nights where I was actually talking to my parents, often with tears, asking, ‘When will the time come?’
“Because I know I have the potential, but sometimes I was the only person that’s really standing in my own way.
“Everything just came down to this week where on one side it’s definitely the tennis I played, but also it was the luck in the beginning. It was just the momentum that made it so special. So I’m definitely enjoying every second I had here.”