Eva Lys
The 2025 Porsche Tennis Grand Prix draw could have gone better for Eva Lys. Her opening match at the long-standing Stuttgart tournament against Jasmine Paolini, the world No. 6, would have put furrows in the brows of many players. Not so for the 23-year-old German as she loves challenges. “Competing against such players in a full arena,” she says, “is enormously motivating.”
Currently Germany’s best tennis player, her confidence was boosted by her sensational start to the season in January 2025 at the Australian Open in Melbourne. She, as a lucky loser, went all the way to the fourth round which was something no other player had ever managed before. Not only the fans Down Under took “Lucky Lys” to their hearts after the impressive performance.
Eva Lys was supported for many years in the Porsche junior teams and has developed as a player on the court and as a personality off it. In the meantime, she also plays a key role for Germany in the Billie Jean King Cup. She has enjoyed a close bond with Porsche for a long time now. Ahead of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, the sports car manufacturer and Eva Lys took the next step as she became a “Friend of the Brand” in Germany. It is an incredible honour for her to belong to the Porsche family.
“The brand embodies so many things that I love: performance, precision, and elegance”, says Eva Lys. “As I continue to push the limits on court, it’s great to be supported by a company that shares the same drive for excellence.”
Maria Sakkari
Her sandpit was her tennis court. Maria Sakkari’s path to becoming a professional tennis player was mapped out early on. Her mother Angeliki Kanellopoulou played successfully on the WTA Tour and managed to break into the Top 50. She took the little Maria out onto a tennis court, discovered her talent and then supported her when, aged 18, she moved to Barcelona as Spain offered better practice facilities. A good decision as she qualified for her first Grand Slam in her rookie year at the 2014 US Open.
Born in Athens on 25 July 1995, Maria Sakkari then put Greece on the tennis map in the years afterwards. In 2021, she managed to become the first Greek to break into the Top 10, thanks in no small measure to her reaching the semifinals at the French and US Opens. As a result, she qualified, again as the first Greek, for the WTA Finals in Guadalajara, Mexico where she went on to reach the last four at the season’s highlight.
In view of her successes, it is a little astonishing that she has only won two career WTA titles – in Rabat in 2019 and in Guadalajara in 2023 – to her name. Nevertheless, the right-hander who views Serena Williams as her role model and the serve as her biggest strength, is a one of the best. Her highest career ranking came on 21 March 2022 when she was listed as the world No. 3.
