Tim Henman confirms retirement plans

Veteran Tim Henman will retire from competitive tennis following next month's Davis Cup showdown between Britain and Croatia.

Henman, a 32-year-old Londoner, admitted Thursday that he is feeling the rigours of chronic back and knee problems.

"The way that it has affected my performance has obviously made my life a little bit harder and probably a little bit less enjoyable," Henman told reporters at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, site of next week's U.S. Open.

Henman missed three months because of a knee injury early in the season, and began pondering retirement when he was ousted in the first round of the Legg Mason Tennis Classic on Aug. 1.

Henman's back was so sore that he double-faulted on match point in a third-set tiebreaker, handing a 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (4) win to rookie John Isner in just his second pro tournament.

"That's when I knew I wanted to stop," Henman said. "It's become a little more clear cut for me, playing in pain."

Great expectations

Henman has won 11 ATP tournaments since turning pro in 1993, but he is just 5-11 in singles this season and ranks 92nd in the world.

He ascended as high as No. 4 in 2002 and nearly became the first Brit since Fred Perry in 1936 to win the men's singles title at Wimbledon when he reached the semifinals in 1996-97 and 2003-04.

"I was aware of expectations," Henman said. "As an individual athlete in that environment, you have to really train your mind to stay away from those thoughts because that is only going to heighten the pressure.

"I played some of my best tennis at Wimbledon. That's something I will always be very, very proud of."

"I will probably be the first to admit I'll probably be judged by whether I won Wimbledon," he continued. "Do I think that is right? No, I probably wouldn't think that's right.

"But I've also judged myself against the best players in the world. Being No. 4 in the world and making the semifinals that I did, I think that makes you a good player."

Henman was good enough to rank in the top 10 for five seasons and pocket $11,608,042 US in career earnings.

"He wasn't as strong as a lot of these guys out there, but he knew how to play," said John McEnroe, who won seven Grand Slams in singles (17 overall) before retiring to the broadcast booth.

"He was a huge boost for the sport in England. He was the consummate pro type of guy."

"I think the kid overachieved his whole career," added television commentator Mary Carillo. "He was one of the best volleyers in this generation of men's tennis, he was a very classy fellow."

With files from the Associated Press

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