A farewell tour rarely begins with a grievance, but Dan Evans is not in the habit of holding back.
The snub. The 36-year-old, who has announced he will retire after Wimbledon, criticised the Lawn Tennis Association after being denied a main-draw wild card for what was set to be his final appearance at the Queen’s Club Championships. Forced instead into qualifying, the former world No. 21 lost his opening match to American Marcos Giron and exited the event he called special to him.
Evans said it would have been a classy gesture to grant him a place after years of service to British tennis, while accepting that organisers were within their rights to look elsewhere. The three men’s wild cards went to higher-ranked Britons Jack Pinnington Jones, Arthur Fery and Toby Samuel — all inside the world’s top 150, while Evans has slipped to around No. 244 after an injury-hit run that limited him to a handful of matches this year.
The context. Evans is no peripheral figure in the British game: he was part of the team that ended a 79-year wait for a Davis Cup title in 2015, won two tour-level titles, reached the Queen’s quarter-finals a year ago and has made the Wimbledon third round three times. His frustration also echoed a second case at the same event, with 2025 women’s champion Tatjana Maria likewise sent through qualifying without a wild card.
There is a sequel due imminently. Wimbledon’s main-draw wild cards are set to be announced Tuesday, with the All England Club able to hand out up to eight in the men’s singles. Evans, already assured of a qualifying place by ranking, has applied and is waiting to learn whether his home Grand Slam will give him the send-off Queen’s did not.
