British tennis star Dan Evans has launched a scathing attack on Wimbledon officials, describing their decision to deny him a wildcard for his final singles appearance as 'shambolic' and a 'piss-take'. The 36-year-old played his last professional match at the All England Club on Wednesday, losing in straight sets in the men's doubles alongside compatriot Henry Searle.
Evans' final Wimbledon ends in disappointment
Evans had hoped to compete in the singles draw one last time after announcing in June that this year's tournament would mark the end of his career. However, he was controversially overlooked for a wildcard, with six British male players receiving invitations instead. The veteran attempted to qualify but was eliminated in the second round at Roehampton, after earlier being denied wildcards at Queen's and the Ilkley Challenger event.
Speaking after his doubles defeat, Evans did not hold back his frustration. 'The last month has been nothing short of a shambles from them,' he said. 'That's the bottom line. Nobody has given me a decent reason. If they said, listen, you're a bit overweight right now. No, I'm serious. Like, you're a bit out of shape but nobody's had the minerals or however you want to phrase it to come over from the governing body, who I think I have done plenty for, and given me an explanation.'
Lack of communication angers Evans
Evans, a former British number one, emphasized that his anger stemmed not from the decision itself but from the lack of communication. 'I think that's just… it's pride, isn't it? I don't know. Is that the word? And if you're not going to do that, and it's certainly not Jamie Baker's job to come and give me the reason why he didn't give me a wildcard. It's not the tournament director to do that. I just think somebody could have come and, you know, sit down and speak. Like, jeez, they get paid enough. Like that's their job. I'm not angry, but jeez, tell the truth.'
Injuries and coaching role limited playing time
Injuries and an increased coaching workload had limited Evans' playing time in recent months, but he still felt the tournament owed him an explanation. 'Listen, I would have loved to play singles,' he added. 'Don't give me some nonsense answer about they're all gone to Ilkley. Come on, guys. That's a total p***-take for me. Excuse my French. If you can't have a conversation and be honest… Listen, if they turned around and say, listen, you've hardly played. But it was, like, you're a coach, you're not getting one.'
Evans pointed out that he had been helping another British player, Henry Searle, during his injury recovery. 'No, I was out there helping another Brit when I've been injured. I didn't see any of those guys out there helping Henry when he needed help. So that was my point. It's nothing against the club, but somebody come and have a conversation. Communication is a big thing in tennis. That's my point. Are they working this week? I have not seen any of them. Seriously. No one spoke to me this week. No one has congratulated me on my career this week.'
Tim Henman explains wildcard decision
Speaking on BBC punditry duties, former British number one Tim Henman shed light on the wildcard selection process. 'The way it works is that the LTA come and present to a wildcard committee. They then leave the room and we have to decide. There were certainly six British players ahead of Dan for main draw wildcards and then we also wanted to give Grigor Dimitrov, who made the quarter finals here last year, and was up two sets to love against Jannik Sinner and then tore his pec muscle. And then Stan Wawrinka is a three time Grand Slam champion. Perhaps if there had been 12 or 13 main draw wildcards he would have got one but unfortunately it wasn't to be.'
Evans' career includes three ATP titles and a career-high ranking of 21. He reached the fourth round of Wimbledon in 2021 and the third round of the US Open the same year. His final match, a doubles loss, drew to a close a 15-year professional journey marked by both highs and controversies.
