With Wimbledon kicking off this week, former world No.4 Tim Henman believes current world No.4 and fellow Brit Jack Draper is a genuine contender at their home Grand Slam.
Speaking on this week’s episode of The Sit-Down podcast, Henman said “there are some really, really good stories in the British game” entering the year’s third major tournament.
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Already, 10 players representing the host nation have advanced to the second round – including a record seven on Day 1 – and leading the pack is fourth seed Draper, who got past an injured Sebastian Baez on Tuesday.
Henman praised Draper’s “absolutely incredible” progress over the last 12 months, which included lifting his first Masters trophy at Indian Wells in March and winning Vienna last October, not long after reaching his first major semifinal at the US Open.
The 23-year-old enters new territory at these Championships, especially following a recent semifinal appearance at Queen’s Club.
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Henman said Draper will compete at Wimbledon for the first time with the full focus of the British public – made more intense after two-time champion Andy Murray’s 2024 retirement.
“He’s a genuine contender now,” said Henman, himself a four-time Wimbledon semifinalist.
“I think he’s got a very good team around him to provide that support to keep his focus on the job in hand and avoid distractions.
“I’m massively excited to see him play over the grasscourt season.”
Henman was only six years old when he first attended Wimbledon with his mother. It was the first Monday of the 1981 Championships when he watched defending champion Bjorn Borg emerge from the doors beneath the royal box onto Centre Court.
This was the moment when Henman made his “one and only career decision” to become a professional tennis player, and fuelled his desire to play on the main stage at his home slam.
The Brit’s dream was realised in 1996 when he took on reigning Roland Garros champion Yevgeny Kafelnikov in the first round.
"I think that was a pretty special way to start my Centre Court career,” reflected Henman, then the world No.62 who memorably won in five sets after saving two match points.
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His victory sparked the beginning of what would become known as ‘Henmania’ at the tournament.
“If I could’ve played my whole career on one court it would’ve been Centre Court at Wimbledon,” Henman said.
“I absolutely loved that environment, the support that I had, the conditions for most of my career were quite favourable.
“I grew up in an environment where I heard the narrative ‘we’ve got the best tennis tournament in the world and no players’, and I always believed I could be a good player.”
Henman’s first Wimbledon semifinal came in 1998, where he fell to Pete Sampras, just as he did in the 1999 semifinals. Goran Ivanisevic pipped him in the 2001 semifinals while it was Lleyton Hewitt stopping him in the last four in 2002.
From 1996 to 2004, Henman reached the quarterfinal stage in eight of his nine trips to the All England Club.
“To be deep in the second week and playing some of the greats of the game, it was amazing,” Henman said.
“I’d love to have won it, and I think I was good enough to win Wimbledon. I think there were other players that were better than me.”
Since retiring from professional tennis in 2007, Henman now sits on the Board of Directors for the All England Club.
He even still has his ticket as a keepsake from the day he first attended in 1981.
“Wimbledon is absolutely part of my DNA,” he said. “I’ll always be a part of it. I’m a member and I’m very proud to be a member.”