Dan Evans bids emotional farewell to tennis at Wimbledon

Dan Evans is the first to admit he is not everybody's cup of tea.

The former British number one, who brought the curtain down on his career at Wimbledon on Wednesday, is never afraid to say what he thinks and wears his heart on his sleeve.

Evans' outspoken nature has tended to annoy those in positions of power - and was perhaps one of the reasons why he did not receive a Wimbledon singles wildcard.

The 36-year-old was given a place in the SW19 men's doubles with his protege Henry Searle, but fought back the tears as he waved an emotional goodbye following their 6-2 6-4 first-round defeat by Hugo Nys and Edouard Roger-Vasselin.

"I know they don't like people voicing their views and I'm more than happy to voice mine," Evans told BBC Sport.

"So not getting a wildcard was bewildering. I thought it was disrespectful, to be quite frank.

"But that's life. It's been a different way to end, but it's been pretty cool."

There is no doubt Evans, who reached a career-high of 21st in the world in 2023, possesses an authenticity that does appeal to many fans.

Sir Andy Murray summed it up as well as anyone.

"He's unbelievably talented and very competitive. He's a bit of bad boy, maybe, but he has a good heart," Murray said.

Hundreds packed into the small outside court - with long queues to get in - as Evans and Searle tried to prolong the veteran's career with a shock win over ninth seeds Nys and Roger-Vasselin.

A group of supporters, who travelled from Evans' native Solihull, wore T-shirts that read 'Thanks Dan'.

Despite joining the Wimbledon queue on Tuesday and camping overnight to get a prime spot, they still had to watch on their tip-toes from the gangway as all the seats inside court 15 were already taken.

"We wanted to say thanks for the career - he's had some brilliant moments," Tom Ritchie, one of the quartet, told BBC Sport.

"How busy it is - the queues outside the court - show how popular he is. He's really down-to-earth and relatable. That's why we love him."

Evans has enjoyed some moments that not many players will ever experience - both good and bad.

The highlights are plentiful: cracking the world's top 25, winning two ATP Tour titles and representing Great Britain in the Davis Cup for almost 15 years.

Evans says teaming up with Andy Murray in the Scot's farewell at the Paris 2024 Olympics was his favourite moment - something that came at a cost to his own career after giving up precious ranking points to play.

But there have also been several lows, notably his one-year ban in 2017 after testing positive for cocaine.

"Tennis is such a good sport and it's an amazing career. I've got no qualifications or anything else - it's given me a job for life," said Evans.

"Obviously I made a massive mistake and I regret letting people close to me down but that's my only one.

"If I could turn back time, I obviously wish I wasn't banned, but I can't change that. I just hope people remember me for playing tennis."

Love him or not, Evans has charisma and a genuineness like few other British players.

And, after he and Searle lost, the Wimbledon crowd let him know he will be sorely missed.