Dan Evans: UK Number Three Tennis Player Failed Drug Test, Positive For Cocaine, “I Made A Mistake”
Great Britain’s number three tennis player, Dan Evans, tested positive for cocaine in April. Evans, who only learned this week that he failed the drug test, spoke about letting a lot of people down. In a short statement, Evans told the press that he failed to pass an out-of-competition test for drugs and tested positive for cocaine. He told the press that the context in which the test was taken was not related to tennis at all. It is very likely that he will face a two-year ban from tennis. Dan Evans ranked 41st in the world in March 2017 and is currently the UK’s third top male tennis player. In April 2017, he played in the Davis Cup tie against France, the Monte Carlo Masters and the Barcelona Open. The International Tennis Federation has not yet responded to Dan Evan’s statement.
Dan Evans has had a history of poor performance, including, according to BBC,not training, and he has been written off. The 27-year-old had risen from a ranking of 772 in the world rankings in 2015, to 41st in March of this year. He has always played well in the Davis Cup and was proud to represent his country. He scored a match point against Stan Wawrinka at the US Open in 2016. Wawrinka finally beat Novak Djokovic in the final last year.
This year, Evans was at the pinnacle of his game. He has always performed well on the hard court, but this season, he found his form on clay as well. It does seem odd that a month after reaching his top ranking of 41, his drug test was positive for cocaine. But Evans insists that there is no link between his tennis game and the drug use.
Other famous tennis players who also failed drug tests in the past include Martina Hingis and Richard Gasquet. Hingis’ suspension in 2007 was for a period of 2 years, while Gasquet’s tennis ban was for a period of 12 months. Later, the ITF lifted the suspension because they accepted Gasquet’s defense of kissing a woman in a nightclub who had taken cocaine.
Dan Evans made his statement at a west London hotel, and it was brief and to the point.
“Hello everyone, this is a very difficult day for me. I wanted to come here in person to tell you guys face to face, I was notified a few days ago that I failed a drugs test in April, where I tested positive for cocaine. It’s really important that you know this was taken out of competition and in a context completely unrelated to tennis.
“I made a mistake and I must face up to it. I do not condone for one second that this was acceptable behavior. I’ve let a lot of people down: my family, my coach, my team, sponsors, British tennis and my fans. I can only deeply apologize from the bottom of my heart.
“This has been a sad and humbling experience. I hope you understand that I will not be taking any questions and I would like to thank you for your support in my career, today – for the good and bad times.”
[Featured Image by Julian Finney/Getty Images]
