Wimbledon 2018: Dan Evans must win six matches in eight days after wildcard snub

Tournament bosses believe it is too early into the former world No 41’s comeback from a drugs ban to award him a wildcard

Dan Evans will need to win six matches in the next eight days if he is to play at Wimbledon after the All England Club decided on a point of principle not to give the 28-year-old Briton a wildcard following his one-year suspension for a drugs offence.

Evans has won 16 of the 21 matches he has played since returning to competition two months ago, but has not been able to rebuild his ranking quickly enough to earn direct entry into either the main draw at Wimbledon, which starts in 12 days’ time, or next week’s qualifying tournament at Roehampton. He is currently ranked No 340 in the world.

Wimbledon believe it is too early into the former world No 41’s comeback to award him a wildcard. While it is true that his results have been better in recent weeks than those of most other British players – including Liam Broady and Jay Clarke, who have been given wild cards – the All England Club’s decision is based not on Evans’ on-court performances but on the fact that he is only two months into a return after a drugs-related suspension.

Evans, who was informed of Wimbledon’s decision on Tuesday evening, admitted last year that he had taken cocaine while out of competition, which is not banned. However, he tested positive at the Barcelona Open in April 2017 because he had left some of the cocaine in a washbag which had contaminated other medication. He was subsequently suspended for a year.

Despite having played hardly any tennis in the first 10 months of his ban, Evans has performed well since his return, especially on grass. He made the semi-finals and final of Challenger events at Surbiton and Nottingham respectively and served for the match against Adrian Mannarino, the world No 26, in the Fever-Tree Championships at Queen’s Club on Tuesday, only to lose the deciding set 7-5.

While the Lawn Tennis Association initially granted Evans wild cards only into qualifying events, he was given one into the main draw at Queen’s. The LTA has in the past made recommendations about wild cards to the All England Club, but the final decisions always rest with Wimbledon. Scott Lloyd, the LTA’s chief executive, declined to say on Tuesday whether the governing body were backing Evans’ case.

The one route to Wimbledon left open to Evans is the LTA’s “wildcard play-off” event which starts tomorrow on courts at Southlands College, which adjoins the All England Club.

Sixteen British men and 16 women take part in this knock-out competition, with the last two left standing in each event given wild cards into next week’s Wimbledon qualifying tournament. Weather permitting, the winners will play one match on Thursday and two more on Friday. Evans will be the top seed in the men’s event.

Evans faces a long route to the All England Club (Getty)

This was the route taken two years ago by Marcus Willis, who as the world No 772 went on to beat the world No 54, Ricardas Berankis, in the first round at the All England Club before losing to Roger Federer.

Before he had been informed of Wimbledon’s decision Evans said at Queen’s on Tuesday evening: “If I'm playing pre-qualies, it's still an opportunity to get into the tournament. If someone had said I'd be playing pre-qualifiers a year ago, I'd have taken it. It's fine by me if I'm playing in that tournament.”

Evans said he had been warmly welcomed back into the fold at Queen’s. “Everyone's been great in the tournament,” he said. “Not just the British players but all the staff and all the other players have been great.”

Evans has been forced to qualify for the tournament (Getty)

Andy Murray, also speaking at Queen’s on Tuesday, said that Wimbledon had a difficult decision to make. “He’s obviously played extremely well the last few weeks in terms of his level and stuff he deserves it," Murray said. "Whether or not it's the right message to be sending, I don't know, but then some would say he's obviously served his time and should be given a second chance."

Wimbledon have eight wildcards available into the main men’s draw but have so far allocated only three, to Broady, Clarke and the promising Australian Alex de Minaur. Kyle Edmund and Cameron Norrie go directly into the main draw because of their world ranking, while Murray – assuming he is fit – will play with a “protected” ranking following his 11-month absence through injury.

Broady, aged 24, currently stands at No 168 in the world rankings but has lost his first two matches on grass this year. Clarke, aged 19, is currently ranked No 223. He has climbed more than 170 places in the rankings in the last year but has lost first time out in his first three tournaments of the grass-court season.

James Ward, who is making a comeback after injury and is now ranked No 362 in the world, has been given a wild card into the qualifying tournament, as have five other Britons.

Johanna Konta and Heather Watson are the only Britons in the women’s singles by dint of their world rankings. However, six of the eight wild cards have been given to British players. Naomi Broady, Liam’s sister, has been given one, as have five players who have made significant progress in the last year. Gabriella Taylor, Harriet Dart, Katy Dunne, Katie Boulter and Katie Swan are all ranked in the world’s top 250.

However, Laura Robson, the 2008 junior champion at Wimbledon, is not on the initial wildcard list. She is currently ranked No 330 in the world.