General Sport

In SW19 the rain poured this summer. Matches were delayed and elongated - some by as much as five days – and the sight of Wimbledon officials running across centre court with the familiar covers was commonplace if not inevitable. With rising stars such as Rafael Nadal stealing the limelight, the departing Tim Henman was moved from centre-stage. Though fans did not know it at the time, this would be the last time Henman’s name would be cried at centre court.

For several years in the early 2000s Henman came close to achieving the greatest prize of all. The semi-final against eventual winner Goran Ivanisevic in 2001 was probably the closest he came, but rain (naturally) stopped the Brit when on the brink of victory. Since then, Henman has continued to captivate British audiences for at least a couple of weeks a year, but his future in the game has been constantly put in doubt.

Despite many people expecting him to quit before this summer, Oxford-born Henman was determined to have one more try at Wimbledon. A brilliant first round win against Carlos Moya was followed by defeat in the second by Feliciano Lopez and spelt the end of his competitive participation. Speaking to BBC Sport after his defeat he said we has “absolutely” going to return in 2008, but this has now been confirmed not to be the case.

Henman’s game was always doggish determination combined with on-court subtlety and grace, but recently tennis has changed. The recent emergence of powerful play is dominating the courts and players like Nadal and American Andy Roddick use their power to smash them to victory, leaving Henman and others like him struggling to keep up.

Though his career may be remembered for marginal defeats at Wimbledon, Henman has had success right at the top of his sport. In October 2003 he won the Paris Masters and was ranked at an impressive fourth in the world. Though he fell away after this pinnacle, fans knew he could always display the ability that had won him so many admirers during his 11 year professional career.

Henman will wind up his career after Great Britain's Davis Cup tie with Croatia at Wimbledon next month and this will signify not only the end of one man’s playing days, but the end of an era for British tennis. While he never won Wimbledon, Henman provided public excitement and enthusiasm not seen in relation to a British player for decades. Even if his legacy is not one of being a symbol of trophy winning and success, let’s hope that he has inspired a generation of new supporters and players alike.