The former men’s world No 4 is in Abu Dhabi to to take part in the Tennis at the Palace alongside fellow former players Richard Krajicek, Pat Cash and Younes El Aynaoui. Graham Caygill had a chance to catch up with the Briton during the exhibition tournament, which began on Thursday at the Emirates Palace Hotel and runs through until Saturday.
On the appeal of exhibition tennis
“It’s fun – that’s the beauty of it. It is still playing the game that we love and you go out and get to see some friends you don’t get to see so often. We want to have fun but we also want to make sure that the people who come to watch have a good time, too.”
Physical challenges
Henman retired from the ATP Tour in 2007 at age 33. “I do go long periods now when I don’t play and, if I’m honest, it hurts, be it my shoulder, my back, or my elbow,” the 40-year-old Englishman said. “Because I don’t play so often when I do play now I make sure I enjoy it.”
On his love of golf
Since he hung up his raquet, golf has become a favourite pastime of Henman’s and he played nine holes at Yas Links Golf Club on Thursday as part of an Etihad Towers sponsored golf day. “I am at the addiction stage. I have always enjoyed playing golf when I was young, my family always used to go Portugal when I was growing up, so that is kind of where I started,” he said. “Now I have a bit more time on my hands so I play when I can.”
On his favourite Wimbledon match
Henman reached the semi-finals of Wimbledon four times during his playing career. Of his favourite experience, he said: “One of the most amazing matches was when I played Paul Haarhuis on the middle Sunday in 1997. There have only been three times they have played on the middle Sunday and I was lucky enough to play in two of those matches. It wasn’t really a good standard of match but I won 14-12 in the fifth and the atmosphere was incredible.”
On the Davis Cup
Great Britain beat the United States in the first round of the Davis Cup World Group stages last week to set up a tie with France in July. Henman, who played in the competition for Britain during his career, said: “They did very well. It was a great effort. They have a great opportunity now. France is not an easy tie, but it is very winnable so I will be a very interested spectator.”
gcaygill@thenational.ae
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