Evans up to career-high world No 33 and seeded for first time at a Grand Slam; faces American Mackenzie McDonald in Australian Open first round on Monday
Monday 20 January 2020 12:42, UK
In elite sport it is foolish to presume anything, but it is evident from the start of 2020 that Dan Evans is on the right path.
The British No 1 beat two top-20 opponents - in David Goffin and Alex de Minaur - as Great Britain reached the quarter-finals at the inaugural ATP Cup in Australia, before backing it up with another quarter-final run in Adelaide.
Evans' strong start to the year has seen him rewarded with a career-high ranking of world No 33 and being seeded for the first time at a Grand Slam.
The 29-year-old, who served a 12-month ban between April 2017 and 2018 after testing positive for cocaine, appears intent on making up for lost time as he seeks to build on a positive campaign in 2019.
Being 33 in the world is a good effort but hopefully there will be more to come
"Last year has gone now," Evans told Sky Sports from Melbourne ahead of the Australian Open.
"I have to look forward and I am always trying to improve.
"I am at a good ranking now and we have got to look forward and try and go in the right direction even further.
"Being 33 in the world is a good effort but hopefully there will be more to come.
"You have got to keep looking forward and always trying to improve. That is my goal."
Speaking on the eve of his comeback to tennis in 2018, Evans vowed to never make a repeat of the mistake that saw him miss a year from the sport.
So far so good.
Evans is keen to acknowledge that his progress back up the rankings to the verge of the top 30 owes a lot to his family and friends, including girlfriend Aleah.
"Everybody has a support group around them in any walk of life," he said.
"You have close family members who help you through certain things. That is normal life; you have got close people around you. Mine have been great.
"My things were minor in the grand scheme of things of day-to-day life. At the end of the day it was my mistake and I had to deal with it."
Evans is not one for setting out goals, or at least voicing them in public, but winning a maiden tour title will not be far from his top target.
"It would be great if I could do that (win a first title)," said Evans, who has suffered two tour-level final defeats.
"If I can't then it won't be for the lack of trying. I have given myself the best opportunity to do that now.
"If it doesn't happen then I will still have had a good career at the end of it. I am confident that it could happen. I will keep going day by day."
Unexpectedly, last August Evans split with Briton David Felgate - best known for coaching Tim Henman, who shared a similar playing style during his career.
Despite having won 46 singles matches with Felgate that season Evans believed he didn't time on his side to be spending time to resolve their 'differences'.
Evans, who subsequently reunited with former coach Mark Hilton, will begin his Australian Open campaign on Monday against American Mackenzie McDonald, ranked world No 132.
"It's just about playing good tennis, trying to impose my game on other players," said Evans who is seeded to meet world No 2 and defending champion Novak Djokovic in round three.
"Taking my chances is the big thing. I feel I have been doing that well. The only way for me to beat the better guys is to play my style of tennis."
He added: "Mine is a difficult game style to play against, a bit different to most people.
"That is an advantage for me, when people play me it is a lot different to your average person."
Tennis can be a lonely place at the best of times, where mental fortitude is a non-negotiable but sometimes emotion can only be contained for so long.
After a commanding three-set victory against 18th seed Nikoloz Basilashvili to reach the third round at Wimbledon last July, Evans buried his head in a towel as tears started welling.
He would then succumb to an agonising five-set defeat against Joao Sousa in the next round after a thrilling encounter.
But such a performance was only testament to his determination to ensure he rebuilt his career.
Asked what is realistic in his career going forward, Evans said: "I don't know what we can expect but I'll be trying as hard as I can to get some more good results and put my game on the court and move in the right direction.
"I am fit and playing good tennis so you never know what can happen."
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