Dan Evans bows out at Wimbledon in tears after doubles loss
The outspoken British star’s career ended with a first-round doubles defeat, but the farewell belonged to the fans who packed court 15 to honor his authenticity and fire.
Dan Evans’ career ended on Centre Court’s periphery, not its stage, but the tears and the roar told the story. The 33-year-old Briton and protégé Henry Searle fell in the first round of Wimbledon doubles on Monday, 7-5, 6-3 to Hugo Nys and Édouard Roger-Vasselin. Fans filled court 15 hours earlier to chant Evans’ name, a spontaneous curtain call for a player who never shied from a mic or a fight.
Evans, who never received a singles wildcard at the All England Club despite 14 main-draw appearances, used his doubles exit to reflect on regrets, triumphs, and the raw honesty that defined him. “I’ve had a good career,” he told reporters after the match, voice cracking. ” The defeat with Searle capped a run that began with Evans’ 2016 Wimbledon quarterfinal run, a breakthrough that announced his arrival as British ’ most polarizing figure.
