THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

June 26, 2021

Daniel Evans

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. What have you been up to for the last week? Who have you been practicing with? How are you feeling?

DANIEL EVANS: Yeah, I come into the bubble on Monday. I've been here a few days now. Practiced with, yeah, whichever guys were here. Practiced with Zverev, Roger, Diego today, Schwartzman. Yeah, I've had some good practice.

Yeah, looking forward to get going. It's nice to be back at Wimbledon. I think they've done a great job with the bubble, the hotel. It's been very relaxed. I'm enjoying it, yeah.

Q. You talked about the bubble. What makes Wimbledon a good bubble compared to maybe some of the others? I know you were saying you maybe had a bit of bubble fatigue. Has that gone a little bit being at Wimbledon?

DANIEL EVANS: No, it's a very big hotel. Good places to eat in the hotel. It's obviously got no other guests in, which is a very secure bubble. Good treatment areas. I've got a nice room. It's very, very comfortable living.

Obviously I imagine it was a hard process to get it all together, but it seems -- well, me as a player, it's been pretty smooth for me getting tested, et cetera. It's been good.

Q. What has it been like in the bubble? Have you had a chance to watch the football together? Have you done that as a group?

DANIEL EVANS: There's been no football the last few days. Yeah, it's been a quiet few days. Obviously everybody's got their business to take care of here. I'm going to head back to the hotel after this all now and watch the Wales game, probably the Italy game.

It's a nice distraction that one of the home countries are playing tonight, and hopefully Wales can get through, yeah.

Q. How would you describe what it means to have Wimbledon back for you personally and for the country?

DANIEL EVANS: I think a big sense of pride to be back playing at Wimbledon. I think for the country, anyone who knows these two weeks, tennis is on the telly, I think my memories getting back from school, tennis would be on the television. It was just always on. Probably not taking much notice who was playing, but you'd see the grass in the background.

That is sort of my memory from the two weeks. The tennis would always be on every television wherever I was, because I was mostly at the tennis club or football or whatever.

For two weeks I think tennis takes center stage. I think that just is a fond memory. I think that's what I love so much about coming here, is it brings back good memories of where you started out. You always want to start -- your opening goal is to get to Wimbledon.

Yeah, it sort of brings you back to being a bit younger and where you started out from. It's nice to be back here.

Q. While this is not Roger Federer's home country, how would you describe the way people in this country feel about Roger Federer?

DANIEL EVANS: I don't think it's just this country. I think he's a pretty iconic leader of sort of the sport. I think wherever he goes, he has good following. Yeah, I mean, Centre Court, Roger Federer, it's sort of his court where he's won the most matches I think.

I think it would be good for the public to get to see him here again. Obviously last year there was no event. I think all the things the public have missed they'll get to see again this year, including Andy. I think it's going to be a great tournament. I think last year it was sorely missed.

Q. At Roland Garros you were talking about being a bit frustrated with not being able to do better in the slams in the past kind of 18 months. Have you done anything differently in the buildup to this tournament to try to change that? What do you think are going to be the keys to try to get a couple of wins or more here?

DANIEL EVANS: I don't think I've ever prepared that badly. I've done everything the same. I've not been given the easiest draw in the world, to play Feliciano. I think it goes without saying the first round is very important.

So, yeah, it's an important day on Monday, as any first round is. I think I've really got to be ready. There's no place for sloppiness. I need to be ready to get going from the get-go the first ball. Feliciano is a tough test, but one I'm looking forward to.

I'll go out and enjoy it mostly. It's important that you enjoy the moments you play at Wimbledon, otherwise I think you get carried away with not -- come to the end of your career, you'll never relish or remember and enjoy those moments. I think it's obviously important to try to win. It's important to remember why you're there and enjoy the moment, yeah.

Q. Andy has been talking about that, how he wishes he'd done that a bit more during his career. Do you feel maybe you've been putting a little too much pressure on yourself to do well at the slams?

DANIEL EVANS: Not really. I enjoy most of it. I was just watching a show last night, actually Teddy Sheringham said it, there's a picture of him in '96 with Darren Anderton. He was telling an Anderton that this is why you play. It was the picture before the Germany match.

It just sort of rang home a bit, that's what you play for. It's a big match, of course, at Wimbledon. To sort of remember to enjoy it, otherwise you'll never enjoy it, you'll just be focusing on winning, preparing. You've got to enjoy it, as well.

It was pretty nice to hear really from someone who was so good, yeah.