The British tennis star Dan Evans has expressed his frustration with Wimbledon's decision not to grant him a singles wildcard, despite announcing his retirement from the sport last month.
Evans, who fell short in Wimbledon qualifying, was instead given a wildcard for the men's doubles, a decision he described as 'disrespectful'. The former British number one had hoped to play in the men's singles event as a wildcard in what would have been his last-ever tournament.
Former world number four and BBC commentator Greg Rusedski has also criticized Wimbledon's decision, calling it an 'own goal'. Speaking on the Off Court podcast, Rusedski questioned why Wimbledon would not try to make a big deal out of Evans' retirement, given his contributions to British tennis.
Rusedski noted that Evans had sacrificed ranking points to play in the Olympics with Sir Andy Murray and had been a key player in British tennis for many years. He argued that it would have been a nice gesture to give Evans a singles wildcard and make a big deal out of his retirement.
Tim Henman, a board member at Wimbledon, defended the decision, stating that there were only eight main draw wildcards available and six British players ahead of Evans in the queue. Henman also mentioned that Grigor Dimitrov, a three-time Grand Slam champion, was given a wildcard due to his recent performance at Wimbledon.
Evans' doubles campaign was short-lived, as he and his partner Henry Searle were beaten in straight sets by Hugo Nys and Edouard Roger-Vasselin. Evans described his farewell as a 'different way to end' but expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to play at Wimbledon in his last-ever tournament.
