Dan Evans (tennis)

Daniel Evans (born 23 May 1990) is a British professional tennis player. He has been ranked as high as world No. 21 in singles by the ATP, which he achieved on 7 August 2023. He reached a career-high ranking of No. 52 in doubles on 26 April 2021. In 2015, he was part of the winning British Davis Cup team.

Evans's four ATP Tour finals to date have been the 2017 Apia International Sydney (losing to Gilles Müller), Delray Beach Open (losing to Radu Albot), the 2021 Murray River Open, where he beat Félix Auger-Aliassime to win his first title, and the 2023 Washington Open, winning his first ATP 500 title against Tallon Griekspoor.

Evans made his Davis Cup debut for Great Britain against Poland in September 2009. Evans twice won deciding fifth rubbers, against Slovakia and Russia respectively, helping Great Britain progress to the Davis Cup World Group. Evans also played in the semifinal against Australia, losing both of his rubbers, and was a substitute for the Final against Belgium, with Great Britain winning the Davis Cup in 2015, the nation's first success in the tournament for 79 years. The Davis Cup team was awarded the 2015 BBC Sports Personality Team of the Year Award.

Early and personal life

Evans was born and grew up in the Hall Green area of Birmingham, his father is an electrician, his mother a nurse, and he has two older sisters.

At first, Evans played squash with his father, aged seven, at the local squash and tennis club, the West Warwickshire Sports Club in Solihull, only falling into tennis by chance a couple of years later. Once Evans had got to grips with his preferred racket it became quickly apparent that he had some ability and he began training in earnest, moving to Edgbaston Priory aged 10.

By the time he was 13, Evans had moved to Loughborough to live with a host family while training at the Lawn Tennis Association's academy at Loughborough University. Of his time at Loughborough, he said: "I was never the best at 14 and 15, in fact, I was probably the worst. I was smaller than the others and a bit of a late developer, but I always thought I was pretty good and in the end, I was the best."

Evans supports Aston Villa F.C. and has a single figure golf handicap.

Junior career

2004

Evans was a member of the British team that won the World Junior Tennis competition in the Czech Republic aged 14. Evans was guided by LTA Academy coaches Mark Taylor and Leighton Alfred, who both continued working with him sporadically over the years.

2006

In March, Evans won the junior title at Marcq-en-Baroeul, putting him at the top of the European under-16 rankings.

The Lawn Tennis Association withdrew him from the Wimbledon junior tournament for being, in his own words, "stupid on court".

2007

In April, Evans was invited to the Davis Cup tie against the Netherlands, as a hitting partner for Tim Henman and Jamie Murray.

In June, Evans had his first win on the ATP tour in the Nottingham qualifier, losing in the second round.

In July, Evans first victories on the Futures tour, after seven attempts, were at the Great Britain F11 in Felixstowe, where he won two rounds before being beaten in the quarterfinals.

Evans reached the quarterfinals of the US Open boys' singles. Evans won a junior tournament in Paraguay, was a runner-up in the Czech Republic and reached a semi-final in Chile. He also had a successful year in a doubles partnership with David Rice, winning tournaments in Brazil, Uruguay and France. Evans was coached by Mark Hilton at the Nottingham Tennis Centre.

2008

Evans started the year at the Nottinghill junior tournament, by reaching the singles quarterfinals, and the doubles final partnering Dan Cox.

At the Australian Open, Evans reached the quarterfinals of the boys' singles, where he lost to Yuki Bhambri. Again with Dan Cox, they reached the doubles quarterfinals.

He went on to win the fourth junior title of his career in Nottingham.

Junior Slam results – Singles:

Australian Open: QF (2008)
French Open: 1R (2007), 2R (2008)
Wimbledon: 1R (2007), 3R (2008)
US Open: QF (2007)

Junior Slam results – Doubles:

Australian Open: QF (2008)
French Open: 1R (2007), QF (2008)
Wimbledon: 1R (2007), 2R (2008)
US Open: 2R (2007)

Professional career

2008

At the start of the year, Evans began working at the National Tennis Centre with Paul Annacone, the LTA men's head coach, who used to work with Pete Sampras and Tim Henman.

In May, Evans reached the quarterfinals of the Bournemouth Futures, achieving a ranking of 1339. A week later, he had another quarterfinal appearance at the Edinburgh Futures, and won the doubles with Joshua Milton at the same event.

In June, he was given a wild card into the Artois Championships, playing Belgian Xavier Malisse in the first round at Queen's Club. He played in the boys' tournament at Wimbledon, but was suspended until November 2008 by the LTA after he was photographed with Daniel Smethurst at a nightclub in the early hours of the morning. The next day, he partnered Smethurst in the boys' doubles event. In addition to losing his funding, he was also denied wild cards to tournaments and access to practice centres and LTA coaching staff. Instead, Evans trained at the West Warwickshire Club in Solihull.

In August he won his first senior title, a Futures event in Wrexham. Later that month he won in London, with a third senior title coming that October in Glasgow,

He ended the year by winning the LTA Male Junior Player of the Year award and ranked world No. 477.

2009

In February, Evans took part in the play-offs for the British Davis Cup team, but lost out to Josh Goodall and Chris Eaton.

Evans won the singles title at The Caversham International in March, an ATP Challenger Tour event, rising to an ATP ranking of world No. 305.

Evans was granted a wildcard into Wimbledon, and was defeated by the 12th seed Nikolay Davydenko. In August, he lost in the first round of qualifying for the US Open to Brazilian Júlio Silva.

In September, Evans, the British No 5, made his debut as part of the Great Britain Davis Cup squad for the Europe/Africa Zone Group I relegation playoff against Poland, along with Andy Murray, Joshua Goodall, James Ward, Ross Hutchins and Ken Skupski. He played in the tie, losing to Jerzy Janowicz in the second rubber, and then losing to Michał Przysiężny in the deciding final rubber. Great Britain were relegated to Europe/Africa Zone Group II for the first time since 1996.

In November, he reached the second round of the Caversham ATP Jersey Open, where he lost to Finland's Jarkko Nieminen.

2010

Evans began the year by winning his first qualifying tie in Doha, but lost to Steve Darcis in the second qualifying round. A week later, he succeeded in qualifying for an ATP Tour event for the first time, but lost in the first round of the Heineken Open in Auckland to Michael Lammer. This loss allowed him to take part in qualifying for the Australian Open where he won his first qualifying match against Sean Berman. He lost in the second round to Santiago Ventura.

In March, Evans was called to the Davis Cup team in the Europe/Africa Zone Group II tie vs Lithuania, in Vilnius, with James Ward, Ken Skupski and Colin Fleming. The Lithuanian side entered the tie as underdogs; fielding a team of teenagers. Ward won his debut Davis Cup match. Evans lost the second singles match, Fleming and Skupski won their doubles, but Ward and Evans were both beaten on the final day. Evans' defeat was his fourth in two Davis Cup appearances and came against a player ranked 269 places below him at 521 in the world and who had never played a match on the ATP World Tour. This was described as a humiliating Davis Cup defeat for Great Britain, and led to the resignation of Davis Cup Captain John Lloyd. Britain was now threatened with relegation to the lowest tier of the competition.

After failing to qualify for The Championships, Evans moved away from Birmingham to train at the Nottingham Tennis Centre, where he would be coached by Mark Taylor and Leighton Alfred.

In December, the Lawn Tennis Association announced cuts to its financial support for some of Britain's underperforming players from 43 to 30, after raising the standards it requires them to meet. This included Evans, who had been hailed as the country's most promising youngster but had in the past been criticised for a poor attitude.

2011

Evans reached the final of three Futures and the semifinal at the Bath Challenger, which led to the All England Club awarding him a wild card for the Championships.

At Wimbledon, Evans lost a close first-round match against the 20th seed Florian Mayer.

Evans' only title this year was the Chiswick Futures F11 doubles with Liam Broady in July.

In December, the Lawn Tennis Association reduced its list of funded players to 23, but Evans was added to the programme, with Julien Hoferlin becoming his coach.