Dan Evans has advanced to the second round of Wimbledon qualifying after beating Bolivian youngster Juan Carlos Prado Angelo.
Evans, 36, rallied from a break down in the first set before securing a 7-6, 6-2 victory in south-west London.
The Briton, playing in his last event before retirement, will play 28th seed Tristan Schoolkate in the second round of qualifying.
Evans, who was not awarded a wildcard for the main draw, needs to win two more matches to secure his place in the showpiece event.
How badly treated do you feel Dan Evans has been by Wimbledon?
After beating Prado Angelo on Monday afternoon, Evans discussed his thoughts on the controversial wildcard debate.
Dan Evans calls out ‘untrue’ claims about his Wimbledon wildcard debacle
Evans, speaking to the BBC’s Annabel Croft, first offered his thoughts on the victory.
“It was amazing,” he said. “Obviously I haven’t played a bunch of tennis, and obviously I’m stopping, so it felt on my first Wimbledon more than my last.
“I was very nervous at the start and especially at the end, so I’m really happy and proud of how I came through that.
“It’s been a difficult season, obviously. But I’ve built a career through fighting in my matches, and that’s what I set out to do today. So I’m really, really happy with how I did that.”
The former world number 21 was then asked to relay his ‘version of events’ after not being awarded a wildcard for the Wimbledon main draw.
“To be honest, it’s neither here nor there if they gave me a wild card or not,” he admitted. “I love the tournament, but first and foremost, I wanted to play main draw. Just another chance to play, in my opinion, the best tournament in the world in any sport – but it wasn’t [to be].
Wimbledon Men’s Singles wildcards
- Grigor Dimitrov
- Jacob Fearnley
- Arthur Fery
- Jack Pinnington Jones
- Toby Samuel
- Stan Wawrinka
- Harry Wendelken
“I’m no more motivated to win matches here because I didn’t get the wild card. You know, a lot of people have run with that story. That’s untrue,” the British star added.
“I play tennis for myself, not to prove other people wrong, and I’ve done that. And not today, but throughout my career.
“And that’s why I play tennis. It’s nothing to do with the All England Club not giving me a wild card or giving me a wild card.
“They gave me one in doubles. So I’m appreciative of that.
Evans was also not awarded a wildcard for this year’s Queen’s Club event – a decision described by Evans as lacking ‘class.’
“Listen, the Queen’s stuff and the other stuff, yeah, I was unhappy and I made it clear that I didn’t think there was other people ahead of me through what I’ve done in my career, but that’s everybody’s opinion. We’ve all got one,” Evans continued.
How do you feel about Dan Evans not being handed a wildcard for Queen’s? 🤔
“And listen, I’m happy to be through the second round. Through to the second round and I’m really looking forward to going to watch Henry [Searle] play and putting my feet up.”
As mentioned previously, Evans will play Tristan Schoolkate in the second round of Wimbledon qualifying.
Should Evans advance past Schoolkate to the final round of qualifying, he will play either Henrique Rocha, Nicolás Mejía, Tseng Chun-hsin, or Gustave Heide.
Who is Dan Evans’ next opponent?
Tristan Schoolkate, born in Perth, Australia, is ranked 147th on the ATP Tour.
The 25-year-old is a three-time ATP Challenger title winner and two-time ITF title winner.
In doubles, the Australian has reached the final of one ATP Tour event: the 2025 Los Cabos Open.
Schoolkate has never qualified for the Wimbledon main draw.
In 2024, he was defeated in the first round of qualifying by 10th-seeded Bosnian Damir Dzumhur.
Last year, the second-seed Australian defeated Facundo Diaz Acosta before losing in the second round of qualifying to Lebanese player Benjamin Hassan.
Schoolkate and Dan Evans have never played each other before on the ATP Tour.