Dan Evans says he is not given a clear explanation for not receiving a Wimbledon singles wildcard ahead of what he describes as the final event of his 20-year career. The 36-year-old, who announced he was retiring at the All England Club, hoped to play in the men’s singles. Instead, he competed in the doubles with Henry Searle and lost 6-2, 6-4 to ninth seeds Hugo Nys and Édouard Roger-Vasselin on Court 15.
Evans claims Wimbledon’s governing body, the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA), did not provide adequate communication in the run-up to the tournament. He calls the handling “shambolic” and says he was denied not only a singles wildcard but also attempts to gain entry through qualifying and requests linked to other events, which he says were turned down. Evans says he received no “decent reason” and argues that someone could have spoken to him directly.
Tim Henman, speaking on BBC, says Wimbledon wanted to offer Evans a wildcard but that the process involves a limited number of slots and selection by a committee, leaving Evans without space.
