According to the BBC Henman will be retiring following GB's Davis Cup tie:

Tim Henman is expected to retire after a swansong for Great Britain at next month's Davis Cup tie against Croatia.
Henman has not entered any tournaments after the Wimbledon tie, hinting at plans to end his career on grass.

The 32-year-old has been hampered by a persistent back injury and has won just three tour matches this season.

"There's been no official confirmation yet but it's clear his career will end sooner rather than later," said Lawn Tennis Association chief Roger Draper.

"Tim is very patriotric and is taking it a day at a time. He may fancy one more shot at Wimbledon next year, and only time will tell."

The former world number four aims to play in this month's US Open before the Davis Cup match on 21 September.

He has slumped to 92 in the world rankings, and looks set to drop out of the top 100 when the new rankings are released.

It's tough to concentrate on winning when I'm worrying about my back

Tim Henman

"The clues were there a few weeks back when Henman settled on his American schedule and at the same time sorted out his priorities," 5live tennis correspondent Jonathan Overend said.

"He decided to break with tradition and not set up base in the States ahead of the US Open.

"With a third child on the way, such a part-time schedule was appropriate.

"But with a ranking about to drift out of the top 100, and a back disorder that won't ever fully clear up, he knows part-time isn't enough."

That injury has forced Henman to pull out of next week's New Haven warm-up event ahead of the final Grand Slam of the year at Flushing Meadows.

"It's tough to concentrate on winning when I'm worrying about my back so I want to try and get it right as soon as possible," Henman said.

"My goal now is to try and get as much treatment on it as possible before the start of the US Open."

Henman has reached six Grand Slam semi-finals, including four at Wimbledon, and should arguably have won the title at the All England Club in 2001 when he lost an epic match to wildcard Goran Ivanisevic.

In 2003, Henman claimed a prestigious Master Series title in Paris, to complete his array of 11 titles.

How sad! I guess we'd all like to see him play one final Wimbledon so we can say goodbye properly but it doesn't look like it?!

Tim- you've been a great player and will be missed!

Ok since I put this up the beeb have changed their tune slightly and altered the headline to 'Henman one step close to retirement' but the jist of the story is the same.

I read that this morning Miss S and it brought to mind the convo some had about Tim on another thread - thinking that he must surely be thinking of retirement now.

I think its a real shame that Tim is going to fizzle out now rather than be able to string together a few wins and go out in a tiny blaze of glory. He has had a great career and, though I always thought he never quite reached his potential and that he needed a bigger serve to help him on his way - I would always defend him against any critic who said he was rubbish and nothing more than a journeyman.

He has been a great figure for the world of tennis, many of the greats have always had a good word for him, and indeed, been good mates with him which always helped me laugh off the boring mantle that the press gave him. I will miss him greatly when he does call it a day and I wish him all the best for the future.

As people know here ive never been a massive Henman fan and as Pebs said he lacked that big serve to be a truly great player but he was still a top class player 98% of players would be more than happy with his career stats.

He deserves to go out on a bit of a high so id like to see him win his matches in the DC against Croatia at Wimbledon would be a fitting way to bow out.

:ok:

Well I saw his first round match in Cinci and it was dismal. It maybe harsh but its about time he called it quits.Its worse when you see someone who was really good in the past getting mauled embarassingly by people you know he should beat.Theres no dignity in going out that way. Good Luck to him in whatever he gets up to from now onwards. I mean theres no legends tennis for him since he failed to meet the criteria,best he can hope for is an invite and then its World Team Tennis and commentry!

It certainly is painful to read about him losing match after match to someone you would've expected him to beat on his way further into a tourney, rather than the 'crashing out' at the first round, so I guess I would rather see him retire. I just hoped he would go with more of bang tbh Dark, its hard to see your fav player just fade away like this.

I also think he'll be the next GB Davis Cup captain! He's said in the passed that he'd like to commentary so I'm sure he'll do that.

I'd quite like to hear him commentating actually. People always used to groan when that subject came up, said he was boring and droned on, but hes actually got a very dry sense of humour and would probably be quite funny in the box. I think he would work well with Boris and John - the perfect English foil to their more excitable personalities...

I feel your pain. I wanted Agassi to retire after he lost that US Open final to Federer but played on the next year and embarrased himself.He was my favourite. So I kinda feel your pain but at the end of the day they choose to make themselves clowns and I dont understand why!

Thats well I suppose a good thing!

Agassi was another fav of mine and I didnt want him to retire either - also, I could kinda see why he didnt - I think he desperately wanted to go out in a style similar to Sampras and it just wasnt to be.

And Henman uses Agassi as an example of why he plays on!

Agassi had the game to play on Henman and his dead serve and volley was never going to get that far!Im sorry but its a fact! I liked the guy but he shouldve went some time ago!

well.... I wouldnt go that far but results speak for themselves I guess - hes not had much luck the last couple of years.

I would go that far.Agassi had the game at 35-36 to match with the best including Federer Henman doesnt so it was blaringly obvious for him to go!

Yes, but you're not speaking as the fan here! I have always maintained that if you are enjoying it and are in it, you have a chance so thought Henman was right to play on.

I am a fan but not an ardent one as I am Federer or Agassi,Im just blunt with him coz his game was more of the 90s and it really wasnt cutting it for a long time now. I have always like him but not in this decade!

well, I only do blunt when it comes to Hewitt. :P

I certainly havent had much to cheer in the last two years or so, but right up till then I had hope it has to be said - and even now I cant extinguish that - I want him to go out in style and until he actually quits, I am gonna keep hoping that.

Hewitt is another story altogether lets not venture there! roflmao

if you are a fan, its probably best not... we might come to blows ;)

I was when he came onto the scene now Im anything but a fan. My mum said whlist watching him against Federer on Saturday that he looks dirty and how on earth did he bribe Bet! roflmao

:D

She then went on to say that ugly people make beautiful babies and he has a wonderful daughter though I questioned how much of his genes are in there.My ma slapped me on the back of the head saying dont be mean,that after her comment! roflmao

:lol: just cos your mum does it, doesnt mean you can join in!

Clearly and Im an adult and she smacked me! I was stunned coz it was so immediate! roflmao

Well he might be dirty and ugly - well according to some - but he's a rich, successful slam winning dirty ugly one isn't he? :rolleyes: roflmao And he is still playing at a hgh level too. :ok: At ;east he plays a match till the end doesn't limp off with his head down and give up like a wimp as some do. Most of the top 100 could learn something from him, and i think Nadal already has. His attitude is similar.

Oh yeah!!!!! Hewitt has got a lot of fight left in him. One day his skills may well get back to what they were and he will more than just scare Federer...

Agreed!

They might, although I think it is tougher for him now than before but he's stil playing like a top 5-10 player if you ask me. And he's nto in the top 10 is he? :shrug:

Thign with Hewitt is that I never liked him at first, I was biased with my Henman supporting as he wa shsi nemesis. But I always respected him. I guess when he was at the top folk wanted him to get toppled as they do with all top players. I also used to think that he did not have a great game to watch - I tend to prefer serve and volley. However, now I realll appreciate him as he realyl does make the best fo what he has weapons wise and the thing is HE is the weapon. He always gives his all and fights to the end, and if that is not worthy fo credit then I really don't know what is. Nerves of steel, never say die attitude and and total self belief are essential for any great sportsperson. I know we go on about Tim's lack of power and high risk game but if he'd had those qualites like Hewitt has, he might have won a slam. Adn I see a lot of so called top players who lack those qualites too.

aaaaaaarrrrrrrrrgggggggghhhhhhhhhhhh

do we have to turn a lovely sad 'henman to retire' thread into one about how great hewitt is? you guys are killing me!

okay, I can (sulkily) admit that he has a great fighting personality, and if you scour hard enough, you will find me admitting to that before now but still.....

sheesh!

I'm not a fan of hewiit either. Always strikes me as very surly as well, always moaning about things such as Hawk-eye or whatever. He's fallen out of the top echelons of the game and i think deep down he knows it, i certainly cant envisage him winning another slam.

Never been a fan of his immensely defensive game anyway. They're are exceptions to the rule like Sanchez vicario and nadal, who are defensive but still take risks. Hewitt's game just looks dated nowadays, when you see the power of Nadal, Djokovic, Safin etc.

Well we didn't bring Hewitt up and he was beign trolled :shrug:

I refute thos words with a factual flawless analysis.I wasnt trolling I was just saying by the way! You know guys??? :unsure: roflmao

Well, I certainly don't think Agassi embarrassed himself or was a "clown," but I guess we all see things differently. He wanted to do a final farewell tour, especially at Wimbledon, where he had not been able to play the previous two years. He wasn't at his best there, but he had a couple gutsy wins before bowing out to Nadal in the third. Similarly, he wasn't at his best at the USO, either, but his match against Baghdatis was a great battle by both men. OK, it's a bit of a shame that he had nothing left in the next round, but even his biggest fans didn't expect him to win that year. It was, as I said, his farewell, and we were just hoping he could hang on as long as possible.

Anyway, a toast to Henman! :cheers:

he wasnt being trolled as such....

just disliked :D

you know me SB, I cant say nice things about Hewitt unless its through really, really, gritted teeth...

:D

nicely said. Especially that last bit ;)

:( gonna miss him totally when hes gone.

My point exactly,Agassi had the game Henmans game left him ages ago.

:ban:

Fair enough, but if people start being rude about players that other posters respect then they are going to get a reaction. Maybe it wasn't trolling as such but it sounded a bit rude to me. :shrug:

Anyway I did enter the thread cos I saw Tims's news. Sad I knwo but I thought as much, and I don't think it is definite, hope not :( .

I think it was more of a joke but I take your point.