LONDON — British player Dan Evans dreams of saying goodbye to tennis at the All England Club. To make that happen, he needs to win two more matches in the Wimbledon qualifying rounds and retire on his own terms.
Evans, a Davis Cup champion with the Great Britain team led by Andy Murray, was hoping for a wild card that never came.
“I was disappointed, of course, with not getting a wild card into Wimbledon, but I wasn’t angry about it or anything like that,” he told a small group of media, including CLAY, after beating Bolivian Juan Carlos Prado Ángelo 7-6 (7-2) and 6-3 in the first round of qualifying in Roehampton.
He directed his frustration at the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA): “I had a fair idea I probably wasn’t getting one when my governing body wouldn’t give me one into a very low level challenger (Ilkley) and Queen’s. So I had a fair idea that I probably wasn’t getting one into Wimbledon. I’ve had worse news, and I’ll have better news in life.”
The All England Club did grant him a spot in the doubles draw. He will partner compatriot Henry Searle, whom he informally coached during a period of injury.
Evans, who rebuilt his career after serving a suspension following a positive test for cocaine in 2017, came close to breaking into the top 20. That came in 2023, after winning the biggest title of his career at the ATP 500 in Washington.
The following year, he faced a dilemma: travel to the United States to try to defend the title and hold on to as many ranking points as possible to stay inside the top 150, or represent Great Britain at the Olympic Games.
He didn’t hesitate: at Paris 2024, he played doubles alongside Murray in the former world number one’s final tournament.
“That was one of the best moments of my career,” the 36-year-old told The Tennis Podcast.
He then shared an Instagram post recalling that story, making his frustration plain for all to see. He later deleted it.
Dan Evans 🇬🇧 sharing this Instagram post showing he really isn’t happy being snubbed by Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/sMGPNCox14
— Chris Goldsmith (@TheTennisTalker) June 18, 2026
Evans, known for his one-handed backhand and a slice that unsettles opponents, will next face Australian Tristan Schoolkate in the second round of qualifying in London.
“I play tennis for myself, not to prove other people wrong and I’ve done that throughout my career,” added the former world number 21 and two-time tour champion.
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