British tennis player Dan Evans has clarified that the All England Club's decision not to award him a main-draw singles wildcard for Wimbledon has not served as an additional source of motivation for his qualifying campaign. Following his 7-6 (7-2) 6-3 victory over Bolivia's Juan Carlos Prado Angelo in the first round of qualifying at Roehampton, Evans asserted that his drive comes from within, not from a desire to 'prove other people wrong'.
The 36-year-old, who has announced his intention to retire after this year's Championships, acknowledged receiving a wildcard for the men's doubles event, where he will partner Henry Searle. However, he was not among the eight players granted direct entry into the singles main draw, meaning he must win three matches in qualifying to compete in singles at SW19 for the final time. Earlier this month, Evans had expressed frustration over not receiving a wildcard for the Queen's Club Championships, describing it as a gesture of 'class'.
Addressing the narrative surrounding his wildcard omission, Evans stated, "I am no more motivated to win matches here because I didn't get the wildcard. A lot of people have run with that story - it's untrue." He reiterated his appreciation for the doubles wildcard and expressed happiness at the opportunity to play in the qualifying atmosphere. Despite being ranked 297th in the world, Evans has previously reached the third round at Wimbledon on three occasions, achieved a career-high ranking of 21, and was part of the 2015 Davis Cup-winning British team.
The match against Prado Angelo, watched by a substantial crowd, saw Evans admit to significant nerves. "I was very nervous at the start and especially at the end," he commented, adding that while he is content with his decision to retire, focusing during recent grass-court matches has been challenging. He expressed pride in overcoming these mental hurdles during the match. Next, Evans is scheduled to face Australia's Tristan Schoolkate, the 28th seed, who defeated fellow Briton Johannus Monday 7-5 6-3.
Other British players also found success on the opening day of qualifying. Billy Harris, a second-round participant at Wimbledon last year, comfortably beat Italy's Stefano Napolitano 6-2 6-2. Oliver Tarvet also advanced, securing a 7-6 (7-3) 7-5 win against Australia's Alex Bolt. Henry Searle, Evans's doubles partner, along with Paul Jubb and Max Basing, also progressed to the next round, maintaining British hopes in the qualifying stages ahead of the main tournament's start on Monday, 29th June.
Source: Dan Evans interview