Dan Evans has never been one to shy away from speaking his mind.
The British star was recently refused a wildcard for the Queen’s Club Championships, despite recently announcing his intention to retire after Wimbledon.
British players Jack Pinnington Jones, Arthur Fery and Toby Samuel were all given wildcards ahead of Evans.
All three wildcards are currently ranked higher than Evans on the ATP Tour.
How do you feel about Dan Evans not being handed a wildcard for Queen’s? 🤔
“It would have been a classy gesture to give me a wild card, but obviously that was lacking on this occasion and I was in qualifying,” Evans said of the Lawn Tennis Association [LTA] on Monday.
“I think wild cards are a good thing for Brits. I would say you hope to do enough years of service for your country to maybe get one in your last tournament at Queen’s, but that wasn’t the way they went.”
These comments have provoked a strong reaction from many tennis fans, with one calling the decision to deny Evans a wildcard ‘disgraceful.’
Tennis fans react to Dan Evans being denied a wildcard for Queen’s
“He would’ve died on court if it meant winning when representing his country. Could’ve at least given him a wildcard,” one fan said on X [formerly Twitter].
“Absolutely disgraceful,” another added. “Dan Evans was part of the team that won the Davis Cup for Great Britain in 2015.
“To treat him like that is beyond shame and Queen’s should be hugely embarrassed. I know I am.
Another supported Evans’ stance, pointing to the Briton’s decision to forego the points he won at the 2023 Washington Open in favour of playing double with Andy Murray on his final competitive appearance.
“He’s absolutely right,” they said. “He [Evans] skipped DC in 2024 where he was defending champ, just to play doubles with Murray at the Olympics.
“What a shame!” another exclaimed. “He deserves it so much.”
Not everyone agreed with Evans’ stance on the matter, with some pointing to his low ranking as the clear reason for being denied a wildcard.
Evans is currently ranked 244th on the Tour and has not won a main-draw match at an ATP Tour event since reaching the Washington Open round of 16 last July.
“He’s ranked 217, he doesn’t deserve it,” one tennis enthusiast stated.
“I’ve criticised Emma Raducanu for getting too many wild cards in the past because she had won a Grand Slam, but at least she’s put the work in and got her ranking into the 30’s and made two finals this year so far.
“There are far too many useless Brits getting Wildcards into Wimbledon every year.
“If a player wants to secure his/her position into any tournament, he/she better get a higher ranking,” another said. “Otherwise, just don’t cry because no wild card was given.”
Another fan offered a more balanced opinion on the matter, recognising the strong arguments of both the LTA and Evans.
“Hopefully gets one into Eastbourne before Wimbledon, it’s the least he deserves,” the fan said on social media.
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“In the LTA’s defence, Fery, Samuel and Pinnington Jones have all had good years so deserved wildcards.”
This is not the first wildcard controversy that has occurred at this year’s Queen’s Club event.
Tatjana Maria was also denied a wildcard for the women’s event, despite winning the 2025 title.
Dan Evans’ 2021 Queen’s Club performance
At the 2021 Queen’s Club Championships, Evans produced some of his best tennis to reach the quarter-final stage.
The British star, seeded sixth at the event, began by defeating Australia’s Alexei Popyrin 6-4, 6-4.
He then knocked out grass-court expert Adrian Mannarino, triumphing 6-4, 7-6 over the Frenchman.
His run then came to an end when he faced top seed Matteo Berrettini.
Berrettini, who would go on to reach the Wimbledon final later that year, defeated Evans 7-6, 6-3.
“I came here to win the tournament,” Berrettini said. “Obviously you think match by match but that’s my goal.
“Today the conditions were tough, windy, cold, and very different from yesterday so I took time to adapt but I’m happy with my performance.
Berrettini fulfilled his wish, going on to lift the title for the first time in West London.
The Italian defeated Cameron Norrie 6-4, 6-7, 6-3 in the final, much to the despair of the British crowd sat inside Andy Murray Arena.
