Dan Evans bid an emotional farewell to Wimbledon as his career came to an end after he and fellow Briton Henry Searle lost their men’s doubles match.
The 36-year-old announced in June that he would retire after the Championships, but he did not play in the singles after missing out on a wildcard and then losing in qualifying.
Evans was left holding back tears as he signed autographs for those who had packed on to court 15 to watch his and Searle’s 6-2 6-4 first-round loss to ninth seeds Hugo Nys and Edouard Roger-Vasselin.
It was an understated ending to his 20-year career, during which he was part of the 2015 Davis Cup team that secured Great Britain’s first title in 79 years.
Evans also won two ATP Tour-level titles and reached the Wimbledon third round three times in singles.
“It is just emotional, isn’t it? You think of your family and all the sacrifices that we’ve made. You live out your dreams here,” Evans told BBC Sport.
“This tournament is what I grew up watching. I remember getting home from school and watching Wimbledon, and I was one of the lucky few that got to play here in the end.
“Everything was worth it. For anybody thinking twice about putting the effort in, I can tell you it is worth it.
“I’ve enjoyed every minute I’ve played on these courts.”
