Evans still hungry for more in Paris

Today, 34-year-old Evans earned his second.

Afterwards, he reflected on his first. 

“It’s funny because the first person who messaged me when I won that match was Andy [Murray],” Evans told Rolandgarros.com on Tuesday, referring to his first-round win over Francisco Cerundolo on the terre battue in 2022. “He said that perseverance is a good characteristic.” 

Evans entered Tuesday’s qualifying tilt with compatriot Billy Harris holding a 1-8 lifetime record on the Parisian clay (including qualifying matches), but he has already doubled that win total, and has designs on further additions after his 7-5, 6-3 triumph. 

“I’d love to win some more,” Evans said with a grin.

He’ll have his chance on Wednesday, when he faces French wild card Clement Tabur on Court 6. And if Evans has his way he’ll celebrate his 35th birthday, which is Friday, by booking a trip to the main draw. 

Wednesday Order of Play

Though he has only won eight tour-level matches since the start of 2024, Evans feels like he is on the cusp of a breakthrough. 

“I don’t feel like I’m low on confidence,” he said. “I’m like a batsman getting a few runs and not really converting. That’s been sort of a positive. I haven’t felt like I’ve been miles away, but I’ve been sort of like a horse not finishing his races – I haven’t been able to put my finger on it.”

Evans has plummeted to No.215 in the ATP rankings, but a lot of that drop is owed to Evans’ decision to forgo his title defence at the Citi Open in Washington DC last year in order to play the Paris Olympics doubles with Andy Murray. 

It was a choice that Evans didn't need to think about.

“The atmosphere there was something I’ll never forget,” he said of his Olympic run with Murray, which featured two victories from match points down, and a remarkable seven match points saved in total as the British duo reached the quarter-finals. “It wasn’t even a decision for me.” 

The Birmingham native says that other factors have weighed more heavily into his ranking drop. An injury last summer, at a pre-Wimbledon event at the prestigious Queen’s Club, left Evans in a difficult spot. 

“I got very unlucky after coming back from injury,” he said. “I slipped on the grass and then played the Olympics. The difficult thing was that I really didn’t get enough of a chance to get my knee right at Queen's Club, then I played the Olympics and then I went to America – it just snowballed. Before you know it, you’re where I am [in the rankings], but it’s good – it’s a good challenge."

So what's the next mission for Evans? 

To get back into the top 100. 

“I’ve always done pretty well consistently in the Grand Slams and I feel like that’s where I want to be now,” he said. “Of course I’ve got bigger goals. Today is a great start, I moved great today and that’s important.” 

As for the rest of his career, Evans will approach it with the same vigour that he’s played every single match with. Passion is Evans' calling card, and it was on display on Tuesday as he pumped himself up during tense moments of his win over Harris on Court 9. 

It was also on the tip of his tongue after the match, as he talked about what his future in the sport might hold. 

“I want to try and play as long as I can,” he said. “If I’m enjoying it and I’m still getting into these events. There’s not a lot for me at home, my wife travels with me, we have no children yet, so why not? 

“I really love tennis, I love watching it, and I live it. I see no reason to quit unless the body stops."

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