Dan Evans fired a warning shot to British tennis on his exit from the French Open insisting the sport is too elitist in the UK.
A frustrated Evans lost his opening-round match to Thanis Kokkinakis 6-4, 6-4, 6-4, meaning he boasts just one victory at Roland Garros in six attempts.
But having hit out at the LTA in the build-up to the match suggesting Emma Raducanu’s US Open title win had papered over the cracks for British tennis, he had another pop following his Paris defeat.
“I voice my opinions because I want younger children, working-class kids to get the support they deserve,” he said. “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. 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.
“They [the LTA] 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.”
Evans cut a frustrated figure for much of the match against Kokkinakis. Little separated the pair in the opening set and the British No2 was leading 4-1 in the second when his Australian opponent put together a string of five consecutive games won.
The No20 seed, who has won just eight matches to date in 2023, said: “I’ve got my own battles to deal with on court. I’ve got to get my game in a sport where I’m able to compete at this level. I’ve been very poor in the big tournaments this year.
“I said the other day there’s some soul searching. There will be plenty of that in Saint-Cloud tonight, or wherever I am. It’s shocking how I played today. It’s disappointing. It’s not good enough.”
