Dan Evans has revealed that Rafael Nadal left him with an 'arse injury' following their first meeting at the Canadian Open. The retired British star, who earned one win over Novak Djokovic during his career and took a set off Roger Federer in Doha, never got close to Nadal, going 0-3 in their meetings and failing to win a single set.
The Spaniard is known for his intensity, playing every point as if it were his last. The former world No. 21 felt the full force of Nadal's relentlessness when he suffered a 7-6(6) 6-4 defeat at the Masters 1000 in Montreal in 2019.
Painful Aftermath
Speaking to the Telegraph, Evans explained how the match took its toll. "I played Rafa in Montreal, and he just hit it to my backhand the whole time, so I was constantly pushing up off my left leg," he said.
"Actually, it was quite random, because a load of tennis players, including me, Stan [Wawrinka] and [Nick] Kyrgios all went out that night – it was like the first and only time it ever happened. The next day, I woke up and I was like, 'F****** hell! Like, did I fall over last night?'"
It wasn't the night out that got Evans. It was Nadal. The Brit continued: "I flew to Cincinnati, and I went to the doctor, and said, 'Can you have a look at my arse? Like something's happened,' and he was like, 'Did you have a hard match?'"
"I was like, 'Yeah, I played Rafa,' and he had given me – it's called a bursa [a fluid-filled swelling around an overused joint]. I was in bits for days. It took me two weeks before I could play properly again."
Further Meetings
Evans had to face the 22-time Grand Slam champion again just a few months later, as Great Britain met Spain in the semi-finals of the Davis Cup Finals. Nadal blitzed him 6-4 6-0.
Their third and final meeting came in Indian Wells in 2022, when Nadal started the season by winning his first 20 matches. The former world No. 1 claimed a 7-5 6-3 victory over Evans in the Californian desert – his 17th win on that run.
A Memorable Win Over Djokovic
While Evans had no luck against Nadal, he stunned Novak Djokovic 6-4 7-5 at the 2021 Monte-Carlo Masters, having initially been unhappy with his draw. "I was moaning to Facu [Lugones], who coaches Noz [Cameron Norrie]," he recalled.
"I was like, 'Another s*** draw.' And Facu said, 'No, you've got a good game, you can take him on.' But you know how when your friends say that, you're thinking 'Yeah, yeah, yeah.' But then I started that match unbelievable.
"There were no normal fans because it was Covid time, but there was quite a decent crowd, made up of other players and tournament staff. And when I hit the winning shot, everybody just gasped, out of shock that he'd lost. It's funny what you remember."
