"Not looking forward to playing any tennis at the minute" - Dan Evans left frustrated and embarrassed with Wimbledon just around the corner
Dan Evans' grass campaign did not start off as he would have liked, as the British No. 2 fell to a straight-sets loss against Sebastian Korda in the first round of the 2023 Queen's Club Championships.
The 6-4, 7-5 loss in front of his home fans has affected the World No. 25's confidence more starkly than expected. In a recent interview with inews, Evans said that he's not looking to play any tennis at the moment, leave alone looking forward to Wimbledon.
The brutally honest Brit admitted to having no confidence after the Queen's loss, adding that he's in a rather difficult spot for now.
“I’m not looking forward to playing any tennis at the minute,” Dan Evans said. “It’s tough. When your game and you feel no confidence, it’s not a good spot to be in and it’s a difficult spot.
"I’d love to say I’m looking forward to playing my next match, but I’m not. That’s the honest truth for you.”
As someone who prided himself on being tough to beat, the nonchalant manner in which Sebastian Korda dismantled him, combined with his recent string of losses, has left Evans feeling both frustrated and a bit embarrassed.
“What I pride myself on is being tough to beat, and I wasn’t tough to beat,” Dan Evans said. "I have to compete hard, a bit harder than I did today, and be better mentally.
"But it’s becoming difficult to do that with the amount of losses. It’s frustrating and also a little bit embarrassing. So there’s a lot of emotion in that. It’s hard to see what I can do next.”
"Beating players in practice isn’t the answer to getting wins on tour" - Dan Evans
Thankfully, Dan Evans believes he has the right people around him to get him out of this slump, even if he admits he faces a long road ahead.
While he has been working hard in practice, the British No. 2 doesn't think it's enough any more, as nothing can compare to real match practice and competitive match wins.
“I have got good people to support me, who will work hard for me. That’s important at times like this, and we just spoke and I think we’re all on the same (page). The hard thing is I’m playing good in practice. I have played very well all year. I just haven’t been able to put that game onto the match courts," Dan Evans said.
He continued:
“I’m just not getting through the matches which I’d expect to get through. At 5-5 today, you know, it reared its head again where I didn’t serve well, got broke easy, and they are the moments you need to be tough in, and you can only get that on the match court.
"That’s where you get your confidence from. Beating players in practice isn’t the answer to getting the wins on the tour."
Interestingly, the 33-year-old is not on the entry list for Eastbourne or Mallorca next week, the final tournaments on the ATP calendar before Wimbledon qualifying kicks off on June 26.