Britain’s Dan Evans played the final singles match of his professional tennis career, falling to Tristan Schoolkate in the second round of Wimbledon qualifying. The 36-year-old Cheltenham resident had announced earlier this month his intention to retire from singles competition following the Championships.
Evans faced a challenging path, as he was controversially denied one of the eight singles wildcards for Wimbledon. Consequently, his world ranking required him to win three matches at Roehampton to secure a main draw spot at SW19 via qualifying.
He started strong on Monday, defeating Bolivia’s Juan Carlos Prado Angelo 7-6, 6-3 in the first qualifying round. However, the second-round match against Australian Schoolkate was marred by a disruption. Schoolkate won the first set 7-5, but the match was delayed for over an hour due to a power failure that disabled the electronic line calling system. Amid soaring temperatures reaching 34°C and a red weather warning across London, ball kids were replaced by adult court staff as a safety measure.
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When play resumed, Schoolkate dominated the second set, winning it 6-0 in just 22 minutes. Evans, unable to regain momentum, exited the court visibly disappointed as the world number 147 secured his victory.
Despite this singles defeat, Evans will still appear at Wimbledon, competing in the men’s doubles event alongside rising star Henry Searle, thanks to a wildcard entry.
Schoolkate praised Evans after the match, acknowledging his remarkable career. “Dan is a phenomenal player, and I wish him all the best after his career. I’ve looked up to guys like him for a long time. His style, from the way he moves to his slicing, is inspiring. He’s a great competitor, and many young players can learn from him.”
Evans’ career highlights include representing Great Britain in the 2015 Davis Cup, which saw the nation claim its first title in 79 years. In 2024, he made the personal sacrifice of forfeiting 500 ranking points from the Washington Open to partner with Sir Andy Murray in Murray’s final tournament at the Paris Olympics.