Wimbledon has always held a special place in Tim Henman’s heart, and the man who inspired “Henmania” is returning to the site of some of his greatest tennis achievements.
Henman will make a return to Wimbledon this summer, not as a player, but as a tennis analyst for the British Broadcast Corporation (BBC).
Henman, 33, always the eloquent speaker, will join Sue Barker, who hosts the coverage and interviews the players after the final, as well as John Inverdale, John McEnroe and Boris Becker.
"I'm delighted to be joining the BBC team at Wimbledon this year,” Henman said.
“It's exciting for me to return to Wimbledon in a non-playing capacity and I'm very much looking forward to working alongside other members of the BBC team.”
Henman will provide match analysis and commentary during the network’s coverage of the tournament over the fortnight.
“Tim was an incredibly popular player and the success, drama and passion he experienced at Wimbledon has created a unique connection with both the Championship and British tennis fans,” Paul Davies, BBC TV executive producer, commented.
“Returning to SW19 with the BBC team seems the perfect fit and his on-court experience will add a fascinating dimension to our coverage.
“We hope this will be the start of a successful partnership between Tim and the BBC.”
Henman reached four Wimbledon semi-finals in five years, including the year he ousted the defending champion, Richard Krajicek, on the middle Sunday, a day on which traditionally no matches are played, unless rain has back-logged enough matches to jeopardize the tournament’s timely completion.
And last September, he bid farewell to professional tennis on those same lawns, after playing his final Davis Cup match on the pristine grass of Centre Court at the All England Club.
Henman, whose grandfather, Henry Billington, also played at Wimbledon (reaching the third round in 1948 and 1950-51), achieved a career high ranking of four in the world and won 11 ATP Tour titles.
He currently resides in England with his wife of eight years, Lucy, and their three daughters, Rose, Olivia, and Grace, who was born just days before his retirement.