NEW YORK: Former British number one Tim Henman, who announced yesterday that he will bring down the curtain on his 14-year career next month, insisted he is walking away from tennis with no regrets.
"It's absolutely the right time for me. I have no doubts whatsoever. It's not necessarily the end, but I'd like to think it's a new beginning," Henman said.
The British veteran, four times a Wimbledon semi-finalist, plans to retire after Great Britain's Davis Cup clash with Croatia, a tie which starts on September 21 at the All England Club.
"From a professional point of view, I was thinking about this for some time, with the issues I had with my back and the effects it had on my practice," said the 32-year-old, who is practicing in New York ahead of the US Open.
Henman, who has won just three times on the tour this year and has seen his ranking slip from a high of four to 92, also invoked personal reasons to explain his decision.
"With my third child on the way, it was getting harder and harder to get away from my family. That certainly had some bearing on my decision."
He admitted he originally wanted to play one more Wimbledon next year but changed his mind because of health issues with his knee and bad back.
"When I started practicing again on hard court for Washington, it became clear cut for me that it was an uphill battle and one that was getting harder and harder to fulfill.
"I pretty much knew in my mind I wanted to stop. For me to bang out for another nine months and play Wimbledon for the sake of it, just didn't appeal to me."
Henman wrote the best chapters of his career at Wimbledon where he reached the semi-finals four times (1998, 1999, 2001 and 2002).
"I've played some of my best tennis at Wimbledon. It's something I'll always be proud of," he said.
Asked if he would have done one or two things differently, Henman replied, "Yeah, of course, against Goran".
Henman came within two points of becoming the first British man to reach the Wimbledon final in 2001 since Bunny Austin in 1938, losing a five-set marathon to eventual champion Goran Ivanisevic.
The London-resident, who finished in the top 40 for its eleventh consecutive year in 2006, thanked all his inner-circle, first and foremost his parents, Anthony and Jane.
"I had people around me I could trust 100 per cent all the time. That's pretty rare in the environment I've lived in."
Henman, whose best season was in 2002 when he climbed to fourth in the world rankings, now said he's ready to reclaim his life after 14 years on the Tour.
"In the short term, I'm certainly looking forward to stepping away from things and having some normality, just enjoying some time at home," said Henman.
"But I'm sure that I'm going to look what's out there, hether it's in the middle of next year or in 2009. I'm sure that it will involve tennis. I don't except to step away from tennis. It's been a big part of my life," he added.
