Dan Evans has described his constant omission from playing doubles in the Davis Cup as ‘f***ing annoying’ and is contemplating no longer playing in the team competition.
Evans, who is Britain’s second highest-ranked player after Cameron Norrie, has played 30 matches in the Davis Cup between 2009-2022 but all of these have been in singles. During this year’s competition in Glasgow, team captain Leon Smith selected Andy Murray and Joe Salisbury to play two matches which they lost in three sets. The other team selected was Salisbury and Neal Skupski who won.
However, 32-year-old Evans believes he should be given a chance based on his credentials. Whilst mainly a singles player, he has also reached the final of three Masters 1000 doubles tournaments since April 2021.
“It’s f**king annoying. It’s disappointing. To be frank, it’s a bit insulting also that I haven’t been picked ever to play the Davis Cup [in doubles],” Evans said during an interview with The i.
“This is meant in the nicest possible way to the doubles guys, there’s nothing against them – but I don’t need to play doubles on the tour to prove how good I am at doubles. When I do, I normally do okay.
“I think we need to look past doubles rankings for a Davis Cup tie and if a game style fits or a game style doesn’t then maybe we should be picking other people.”
Evans has indicated that he is now considering quitting Davis Cup due to the current circumstances in a move that will ring alarm bells for the British Lawn Tennis Association. He cites one example which occurred last year in Innsbruck when he requested to play in the doubles but wasn’t selected to do so.
“I had the conversation [asking to play] in Austria,” Evans recounted.
“I played with Neal before for a year to try and play Davis Cup, and didn’t get picked. I’m at a loss as to why I’ve never played.
“It’s frustrating as I said, and a bit insulting as well. It’s something I have to think about going forward if I want to put myself in that position again to keep going there and we’re not getting the right results.
“Maybe I should maybe have a conversation and sit down, and if he [Smith] wants to go a different way then it’s entirely up to him. He’s the captain.
“It’s disappointing and mainly it’s for the team. I don’t want to play for myself. I want to play because I think that’s the best for the team.”
Both Salisbury and Skupski are currently ranked in the world’s top five for doubles and have won multiple titles in this discipline this year. Furthermore, Lloyd Glasspool and Jamie Murray are also in the top 50.
Evans is ranked No.26 in singles and is one of four Brits in the top 50 along with Norrie (No.14), Andy Murray (No.46) and Jack Draper (No.48).
“The whole thing with Davis Cup is I just want the country to do good. It’s my passion for us as a country to do well,” Evans said.
“It’s not this singles vs doubles thing. I just want the best team on the court and the last few times at times it’s been hard to be sat there on the side thinking ‘I think I’m a better option’ and that’s my opinion, obviously.
“It’s never been offered to me to play and that may be something I’ll regret till the day is done.”
There is yet to be any comment from the British LTA concerning Evans’ comments. The country failed to reach this year’s Davis Cup finals after losing two out of their three group matches against America and the Netherlands in September.
