Henman to Retire

Tim Henman announced he will retire from tennis after next month's Great Britain v Croatia Davis Cup tie at Wimbledon during a New York press conference on Thursday. The former British number one, 32, revealed his decision as he prepared for the US Open.

Henman said: "It's not necessarily the end of things for me. It's a new beginning and I'd like to feel there's going to be a lot of new opportunities out there for me and lots of new things to explore." His retirement after the Davis Cup clash (September 21-23) will bring an end to a 13-year career during which he won 11 ATP titles.

Henman said in a press conference televised by Sky Sports News: "I am going to be retiring after the Davis Cup tie against Croatia at Wimbledon." Henman apologised for the news being leaked earlier this week before saying: "From a professional point of view, it's something I've been thinking about for some time."

He revealed that ongoing back problems and the forthcoming birth of his third child were the major reasons behind his decision. "It's made my life a little bit harder, a little bit less enjoyable," he said of the back problems. "With our third child on the way, there's an even bigger incentive to be at home. It certainly gets harder and harder to be away from your family.

"If it's next year or the year after, I'll look at what's out there. I'm sure that will involve tennis. It's been such a good part of my life."