ROLAND GARROS

May 28, 2023

Daniel Evans

Press Conference

T. KOKKINAKIS/D. Evans

6-4, 6-4, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Dan, tricky opponent out there today. Can you please talk to us about your match?

DANIEL EVANS: Yeah, Thanasi played well. Me, not so well.

It was a difficult day, bottom line, really. Yeah, I was poor from start to finish. That was basically it.

He took advantage of it. He served well. Yeah, frustrating really, and that's about it.

Q. You were on quite a good run up to 4-1, and the foot fault happened. I don't know if that was disruptive.

DANIEL EVANS: Disruptive, wrong, a few other things you could say about it. Then, yeah, and then 15-30 or 30-15 he hits. I serve on the line. His net cord goes over.

Yeah, it's what it is, isn't it? It's the game. But, once again, the players are held responsible, but the umpires and line judges are not held responsible.

I'll be getting fined, obviously, for breaking the water bottle. We'll just go through the same cycle again, yeah.

Q. Have you ever been called for that particular foot fault before?

DANIEL EVANS: Never even. I obviously knew it was a rule, but tend to know where my feet are, where I'm standing.

It obviously threw me quite a bit because I didn't then want to be serving from -- yeah, it just totally threw me where I was then serving from. My technique sort of got thrown out. Yeah, it was difficult from then on.

I sort of lost all trust in where my feet were. It's a very minor thing, but it became a pretty big thing in my head. It was then difficult to get away from that, especially on second serve because I just didn't feel I knew where I was on the court. It's strange.

If they're going to call that foot fault, it shouldn't be from 35 meters away, from fence to fence through a net. But, again, that's not the reason I lost, but I was right in the match at that point.

But they find a way of getting involved. Whoever it is up in the chair, they find a way, and they're good at it. They get involved plenty.

They need to look back at Rome. They get involved on this surface when there's really no need to.

Q. Was it called by the center line?

DANIEL EVANS: Yeah.

Q. And then the chair umpire backed him up?

DANIEL EVANS: I mean, you can't say it on the chair umpire, but if he told me if it's that obvious, he has to call it. If it was that obvious, I'm guessing the chair umpire should see it, but it is what it is.

Again, that's not anywhere near the reason why I lost. I was bottom drawer from start to finish, and he was decent.

Q. Just finally on that, what's your view on technology? You probably said this before, because obviously if you had cameras, then I suppose it wouldn't be a disputable issue.

DANIEL EVANS: We're never going to have it, so whatever. It just won't happen. There will be another issue after that, the technology is not right and all that.

It is what it is, isn't it? It's one of those things. It happens. It's sport.

Yeah, like I said, it's frustrating. Breaking a water bottle is not that big of a deal, but I guess it is in this, you know... yeah.

Q. Dan, you said here a few days ago in the media conference that the lack of players, British players, in the main draw was also a reflection on British tennis and to an extent the LTA. Do you think at your stage in your career there's anything that the British tennis can do to support you?

DANIEL EVANS: No one can support that today.

Q. Also, do you think the lack of players in the draw should serve as a wake-up call to British tennis?

DANIEL EVANS: Of course, yeah, but I mean, I've got my own battles to deal with right now on the court. It's not -- listen, it's very obvious the state of -- or not the state. It's a very negative word, but how it is.

Again, like I said, I've got to get my game in a spot where I'm able to compete at this level. I've been very poor in the big tournaments this year.

Incredibly kind draw in Australia and come through a few matches, but I've been poor in the Masters, the one good tournament this year. I said the other day there's some soul-searching. There will be plenty of that in Saint-Cloud tonight, wherever I am, yeah.

Got to get on and try and get my game in a good spot. It's shocking right now how I played today. It's disappointing. It's I thought in a good spot coming in, but I felt like that the whole time. It's not good enough, yeah.

Q. Considering the words we had on Friday from the media day, have you spoken to anyone from the LTA? I understand Michael Bourne and Leon were watching the match today. Have they reached out to you to listen to what you said or any comment or response?

DANIEL EVANS: No. I mean, the problem with it all is everybody takes it personally. It's not anything personal. If it is personal or you're taking it personally, then maybe you're guilty of what I'm saying. Maybe there's some guilt in there that you're not putting in the effort or something if that is the case.

They were supporting me fine today, and that's all I care about really is giving everybody -- I voice my opinions because I want younger children, younger kids to get the support I think they deserve, working-class kids to get the support they deserve, and that's why I voice my opinions.

In any other sport when people voice their opinions about a system, it goes forward, but in tennis, because we're so elitist in England, it doesn't get put forward. I'm doing it for working-class people like I was.

That's why I say the things because no one ever just comes from nowhere. They come through in Britain. It's always, yeah, he was good when he was young. Ten times out of ten they're from a very nice area most likely.

That's why I voice these opinions. I just don't think there's a chance for people from working-class backgrounds to get into the sport and get a chance if their parents don't have money or -- and that's why I do it.

They think I do it against them. I'm just asking for things to be a bit different, more people to have a chance to get funded. That's why I do it.

It's not personal. Everyone takes it personally. It's not personal at all. It's just why I do it is for that reason, and that's what I believe in, and I'm allowed to do that, I guess. I'm 33. Yeah.

Q. Over the last few years you've kind of embedded yourself in the top 30. This is a pretty good place to be. I'm just wondering what you feel you need to do in order to go further and push even higher? What the difference is between you and the top 20, I guess.

DANIEL EVANS: Well, to be honest, it's just frustrating that I've been there so long and then not to be able to get inside becomes frustrating. Not winning the slightly bigger matches.

At the minute it's more frustration than knowing what I can do to get there. I'm trying to do what I think is right to get there, but it's obviously not paying off. It's just hard. It's a hard sport. That's the bottom line.

I've never missed a shot from inside the living room, and I'm guess no one missed at home today. It's just incredibly frustrating. I'll keep going, trying, and get back practicing.

Q. You said in the past that playing on the grass and the swing that's coming up, it suits your game in some ways. You find it quite a difficult period to produce your best. Will you try anything? Will you approach it maybe a bit differently this year to sort of try and address that?

DANIEL EVANS: Yeah, I will. Yeah, I thought about it a lot. Definitely sort of be away from other people a lot more I think is a good thing.

Listen, I love the grass, and I love -- everybody enjoys it. It's an amazing time, but you can get sort of caught up in having not fun is the wrong word, but you spend a lot of the time at the courts because you have so many Brits around who you don't see a lot of the time. A lot of it becomes energy-sapping, messing around, stupid chat. Everybody knows what it's like.

Then before you know it, you're at the courts too long. I'll try probably get my practice done and get out of there. Yeah, I'm not taking a fitness trainer this year. Not a physio. I'm going to use physio sort of in England and just not stay with me. Sort of just come in when I need him.

Yeah, just sort of not lock myself away, but just be sort of a bit more to myself and with certain people, yeah.

Q. Dan, you kind of mentioned that there will be some soul-searching. I kind of imagine with your verdict on what's gone on already this year that you've already done some soul-searching. Have you hit on anything that you think is going wrong with your game that you think you can do better or work on?

DANIEL EVANS: The frustrating thing is I'm playing well in practice and then not putting it on the court, which is sort of the worst thing I think. You play well in practice, and then you get on the court, and that's a bit worrying.

So, yeah, I mean, there's not much else I can really do. I'm working pretty well in -- well, really well in practice. I'm doing the stuff I need to do, and then comes to match day, and I've been, again, apart from one tournament, pretty average this year.

I'm not sure what else to try. Believe me, I've tried quite a lot this year, and it's getting the same answer a lot.

Q. If practice has been going well generally, does that mean you think you're likely to play more tournaments on the grass, Dan? Could you play Surbiton as well as Nottingham potentially?

DANIEL EVANS: No, I won't. I wouldn't have thought I would be turning up in Surbiton.

I think you've got to also trust your game and your instincts. Searching for wins is not also -- you become a bit desperate. I don't want to be -- I don't need to do that just yet. I'll play Nottingham, Queens, and see about the week after.

Then, yeah, I think just have to keep going and trust it really. I don't think going home now is the answer, going to Surbiton. What have I got to do there? Win the tournament and, yeah, you probably should have won the tournament. I've got that in Nottingham.

I think a bit of time off, train, get some good fitness in. And just, like I said, it's important that you keep trusting yourself, your game. Before you know it, game changes quick. Might be in a semifinal at 500 coming up. Happens on the clay. You never know.

Q. You trust yourself, like you say, but I get the impression you still trust your coach even though things aren't going that well.

DANIEL EVANS: Yeah. Listen, I'm not that interested in hiring and firing. It's not what it's about for me.

If you employ somebody, it's because you trust them. That's what I did. I trust him. He might have other things to say after that match. He may not trust me anymore. I'm serious. He may think it might be best for you to take a change. I've not won any matches this year really, so it's up to -- we'll sit down and see.

But, again, there's no secret. I wish there was. Going to have to get back out on the grass in a few days and just work and try and play some good tennis, but it's a tricky time of year.

Obviously, coach goes back to Argentina now and have to sort of start up on my own. It's not easy.