My Sporting Life is The i Paper’s peek behind the curtain at what drives sports stars to greatness. Tim Henman was the British No 1 between 1999 and 2006 and won a career prize money total of £11.6m reaching six grand slam semi-finals and second place in the men’s doubles at the Atlanta Olympic Games in 1996. He is now a tennis pundit.
My mum first took me to Centre Court in 1981 when I was six
That’s when I made my one and only career decision, that tennis was what I wanted to do. I saw Bjorn Borg play, and I’ve still got the ticket and when I am back now either commentating or helping run the event I love it every single time.
Henman on his way to beating Paul Haarhuis in the third round of Wimbledon in 1997 (Photo: Getty)
Of course I’d like to have won more
But when I look back at what I achieved – being in the top 10 of the world for five years, the top 20 in the world for eight years consecutively, six grand slam semi-finals, an Olympic silver medal, to win 11 times on tour, to win the Masters 1000 in Paris, to beat Roger Federer six times – I’m happy with that.
Success is about maximizing your potential, and I gave absolutely everything that I could to my career, and four in the world was as good as I was meant to be.
I look back with disappointment, but no regrets
I would love to have won Wimbledon, that was my ambition, but there are other people that were better than me.
If I could play one match again in my career, it would definitely be the 2001 semi-final against Goran Ivanisevic
He had been in three Wimbledon finals. He was No 2 in the world. He had won thirty plus titles.
He was a great player. We played five times in my career and I won four, so I fancied my chances. But sometimes it goes your way and sometimes it doesn’t. That’s sport.
I do not miss professional tennis in any way, shape or form
The former British No 1 will be the vice-captain for Team Europe at the Laver Cup (Photo: Getty)
I retired 19 years ago, which is ridiculous. I love tennis, I’m involved in tennis, I work in the media, I’m on the board at Wimbledon and I’m the Laver Cup vice-captain for Team Europe.
But the only one per cent of the game I miss is playing on Centre Court against the best in the world.
I don’t miss the other 99% – the tournament, the training, the travel, the discipline. I don’t miss it at all.
I probably play tennis twice a year now
It’s impossible to replace that Centre Court feeling and I’m not trying to but to still be involved like I am, I can still say, “I’ve always said I’ve never had a real job, and I don’t want one now.”
Being in an enclosed commentary box with John McEnroe is a thrill
He is a great character. He is passionate about the game. He has got brilliant knowledge, and he is a lot of fun to be around.
Henman Hill will always be Henman Hill
Spectators regularly flock to Henman Hill to watch live matches on a big screen (Photo: Getty)
Murray Mound? No chance. That’s absolute rubbish.
You can’t change its name. Once it’s been named Henman Hill, it’s Henman Hill forever.
I don’t think it was planned when they built the new Court No 1 in 1997, but they had to put the earth they had dug out somewhere and that is how it evolved and I happened to be getting through to the semis at that time. The atmosphere has always been pretty special there.
I was the first person to be disqualified at Wimbledon in 120 years
It was 1995 and I was playing doubles with Jeremy Bates, and we were two sets to one up. We were in the fourth set tie-break, so we were about to win. So, it wasn’t as if I was having some massive tantrum, but our opponents hit two very lucky shots in a row in the tie break, and it was now their serve.
I had the ball in my pocket for my second serve, but I made my first serve, so I was hitting the ball down the other end in slight frustration without really looking.
And as I hit the ball, the ball girl who was the other side of the net popped her head up to run across to the other side, and I hit her in the head.
Tony Blair witnessed me having a tantrum
Henman admits he was ‘pissed off’ after losing the final at Queen’s in 2001 (Photo: Getty)
The third time I lost the final at Queen’s in 2001, I went back to the empty locker room, obviously a bit pissed off, so I lobbed my racket against the wall.
Sat on the bench, I was aware of someone in my vicinity, and I put my head in my hands, rested my elbows on my knees, and I looked at this person, and without really thinking, I just said, “What are you doing here?”
I remember thinking, “God, that was a bit aggressive,” and I realised it was Tony Blair, when he was Prime Minister. It turned out he was playing a charity match, and we ended up sitting and chatting for an hour about sport, politics, the Royal Family, the press. Then soon after when I lost to Ivanisevic at Wimbledon, I received a four-page handwritten letter from the Prime Minister, which I thought was pretty impressive.
Royal box guests do sometimes have too much Pimm’s
I won’t be mentioning names but it’s a free bar. It’s a great day out but I don’t want to be slurring whilst I’m commentating so I’m careful but obviously there have been a few people who have overindulged. Hugh Grant fell asleep last year, didn’t he? And I saw Woody Harrelson worse for wear once.
I got invited to go on Strictly Come Dancing the day I retired in 2007
Literally half an hour after I’d made the announcement. My answer? I’d rather stick pins in my eyes.
I danced very briefly at my wedding in 1999, but not many times since. If you see me on Strictly or in the jungle you know something’s gone wrong.
Tim Henman is vice-captain of Europe in this year’s Laver Cup at the O2 Arena, from 25-27 September. For tickets visit www.theo2.co.uk/events/detail/laver-cup-2026