TENNIS.com Podcast: Evan King faces a career crossroads at 28

Nov 19, 2020
Style Points

Style Guide: Taylor Townsend wore her own apparel line during Roland Garros return

By Stephanie Livaudais Jun 05, 2025

PODCAST: Evan King faces career crossroads at 28

Nov 19, 2020

Kristie Ahn & Co. knock newest TikTok out of the park

By Cale Hammond Apr 15, 2020
Wimbledon

Madison Keys falls to Laura Siegemund, is latest Top 10 seed to lose at Wimbledon

By TENNIS.com Jul 04, 2025
Wimbledon

Naomi Osaka loses to Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in Wimbledon third round

By Associated Press Jul 04, 2025
The Business of Tennis

Want to see tennis stars like Carlos Alcaraz at Wimbledon's Centre Court for $20? Here's how

By Associated Press Jul 04, 2025
Betting Central

Wimbledon Betting Preview: Emma Raducanu vs. Aryna Sabalenka

By Zachary Cohen Jul 04, 2025
Wimbledon

Jack Draper fumbles the British crown, and the Iga Swiatek of old makes a comeback

By Steve Tignor Jul 03, 2025
Wimbledon

Ben Shelton was one game away from winning when his match was suspended due to darkness

By Associated Press Jul 03, 2025

TENNIS.com Podcast: Evan King faces a career crossroads at 28

Ranked No. 420, the American is deciding whether to drop his singles pursuits for a doubles-only career.

Published Nov 19, 2020

Evan King is on the show this week to discuss life at the crossroads as he decides if he's going to drop his singles pursuits for a doubles career.

Advertising

Subscribe: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-tennis-com-podcast/id339875623 | https://open.spotify.com/show/2ihq5SJ8N72EsloO9XunbW

Watch TENNIS.com Podcast episodes on YouTube and Facebook.

Ranked No. 420 in singles and No. 126 in doubles, King is not ready to give up on his dreams. Since graduating from the University of Michigan in 2013, the Chicago native has won six ITF titles and was ranked as high as No. 185 in singles in 2018. On the doubles court, he has won seven ATP Challengers and 22 ITF crowns, and earlier this year, he was on the cusp of breaking the Top 100.

Calling in from Austin, Texas, the 28-year-old has embraced the nomad lifestyle to the fullest, but it wasn't always such a simple choice. In 2013 and 2014, he struggled at the ITF level and abandoned the tour for a volunteer assistant position at Michigan. Not able to give up the game, he eventually threw himself into a full-time career and played as many weeks as he could in places like Uzbekistan, India, Zimbabwe, the Dominican Republic, China, Portugal, Japan and more.

"I'm going to play 40 tournaments because the way I saw it was that if I was in the real world there are times where I don't want to go to work, but I've got to suck it up and do it anyway," King says. "I can suck it up for two hours a day and do something. And if I play 40 tournaments, 18 of them are going to be good and I'm going to have a decent ranking, and if they're not good, I'm done."

Advertising

TENNIS.com Podcast: Evan King faces a career crossroads at 28

TENNIS.com Podcast: Evan King faces a career crossroads at 28

© AFP via Getty Images

King on his way to the main draw from qualifying at the US Open in 2017. (Getty Images)

But now, King hasn't had the same dedication for competing anywhere, anytime, as he faces what he calls an "identity crisis." Though tournament options are limited for a player in his ranking bracket, there are places he could have gone, including in the United States. Instead, he's taking his time and preparing for 2021.

"I'm still trying to figure out myself really and see what 2021 is: if I'm a doubles player or if I'm a singles player because I'm definitely going to be one or the other," King says. "Maybe I'll be a doubles player, maybe I'll make it, maybe I won't, but I'm still trying to figure it out."

The views, information, and/or opinions expressed are solely those of the podcast creators and do not necessarily represent those of The Tennis Channel, Inc., its affiliates or subsidiaries.