Revealed: Dan Evans’ ‘major sacrifice’ that has given British tennis legend Andy Murray the opportunity for an ultimate career swansong at the Paris Olympics

It’s been revealed that Team GB’s Dan Evans has made a major professional sacrifice, in order to partner with Andy Murray at the Olympic Games.

Posting on social media platform X, tennis reporter Mario Boccardi explains that Evans sacrificed tennis ranking points in order to partner Murray in the Olympic men’s doubles.

Boccardi says Evans will ‘lose the 500 points earned last year in Washington’, which means he’ll be ‘ranked outside of the Top 170 next week’ – losing more than 110 ranking spots.

It’s believed Evans was willing to forego his ranking within the world’s top 100, to give Murray the best opportunity to win in his last-ever professional tournament. 

Murray’s mother, Judy Murray, reshared the post, adding that most people watching the duo wouldn’t have been aware of Evans’ sacrifice.

This isn’t to say Evans isn’t motivated by personal ambition. At the age of 34, an Olympic gold would represent one of the biggest achievements of his career – let alone the glory of winning it alongside one of Britain’s greatest-ever tennis players.

She said most people watching the pair, who last night moved into the last eight after another epic match went into a tie break, would not have known this about the player from Birmingham.

Evans reached a career-high ranking of 21 last year, after beating Dutchman Tallon Griekspoor to win the Washington Open.

He has struggled with injuries since, however, tumbling to 59th in the world rankings. 

These issues have also threatened his participation in the Paris Olympics, with the 34-year-old needing treatment mid-match in his opening singles victory over Tunisia’s Moez Echargui.

Murray announced he’ll be retiring from playing tennis professionally, after the Paris Olympics

He exited the single’s tournament after a comprehensive defeat to Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas earlier in the week, and has at times looked out-of-sorts when partnered with Murray.

Murray and Evans produced one of the standout matches of the Games, with a stunning comeback victory over Japan that propels them into the tournament’s quarter-finals.