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Jun 17, 20261
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British Tennis Star Dan Evans to Retire After Wimbledon, Criticises British Tennis Coaching

British tennis player Dan Evans, 36, will retire after Wimbledon following injury struggles, and has criticised the direction of British tennis coaching in an interview. He received a doubles wild card for the tournament but not a singles wild card.





Quick Facts
Who
Dan Evans
What
Dan Evans announced retirement after grass-court season
When
2026-06-17T17:27:45Z
Where
Wimbledon, London
- Dan Evans announced retirement after grass-court season
- Evans criticised British tennis coaching
- Evans received a doubles wild card for Wimbledon
- Evans lost to Daniel Jade in French Open qualifying
- Evans failed to qualify for Ilkley Challenger and HSBC Championships
Dan Evans, the British tennis player who achieved a career-high ranking of world No. 21 in 2023, has announced his retirement from professional tennis after this year’s grass-court season, culminating at Wimbledon. The 36-year-old, known for his outspoken nature, has used his farewell tour to voice criticism of the state of British tennis coaching.
Evans, who has been sidelined for much of the past 10 months due to injury, expressed disappointment with the decision of the Queen’s Club tournament not to award him a wild card. "It would have been a classy gesture to give me a wild card, but obviously that was lacking on this occasion," Evans told British newspapers. The Lawn Tennis Association (LTA), which owns and operates the event, declined to comment.
After a series of recent losses, including a defeat to then-world No. 1447 Daniel Jade in French Open qualifying and failure to qualify for the Ilkley Challenger and HSBC Championships, Evans was awarded a doubles wild card for Wimbledon by the All England Club on Tuesday. He will play doubles with 20-year-old British player Henry Searle, whom he has coached informally during his rehabilitation. Evans has not received a singles wild card for the tournament.
In an exclusive interview with the Tennis Podcast published Wednesday, Evans elaborated on the issues he sees in British tennis. He argued that more British players should be in the world’s top 100, noting that currently only Cameron Norrie among men and Emma Raducanu, Sonay Kartal, Katie Boulter, and Fran Jones among women hold that ranking. "Where a lot of them (British players) should be is (top) 100," Evans said. "I think the coaching in this country now for a few years has been not going in the right direction."
Evans, who was part of the British Davis Cup-winning team in 2015, believes coaching methods have become overly complicated. "I didn't look at one piece of data in my whole career. Never wore a heart-rate monitor, neither wore any of it, and I did alright," he said, adding that compared to his junior coaches, "the coaches are not of that caliber anymore in those positions, dare I say it, but that's just a fact."
Reflecting on his own career, which included a one-year ban for testing positive for cocaine in 2017 and having his LTA funding removed at age 18 for a discipline breach, Evans expressed a desire to move into coaching after retirement. "I just think, there's things I've learned along the way which could help," he said, backing himself to add value to British tennis.
Why This Matters
Dan Evans' retirement and criticism of British tennis coaching highlight systemic issues that may affect the development of future British players. For readers, understanding these critiques could shape expectations for British tennis performance in upcoming Grand Slams and influence how talent is nurtured, especially as Evans plans to transition into coaching.
Timeline & Sources
Jan 1, 2015
WirePart of Davis Cup-winning British team
Jan 1, 2017
WireReceived one-year ban for testing positive for cocaine
Jan 1, 2023
WireAchieved career-high ranking of world No. 21
Jun 13, 2026
WireFailed to qualify for Ilkley Challenger and HSBC Championships
Jun 16, 2026
WireAll England Club awarded Evans a doubles wild card for Wimbledon, partner Henry Searle
Jun 17, 2026
WireTennis Podcast interview published; Evans criticised British tennis coaching and announced retirement after grass-court season