Tim Henman, the former Wimbledon semi-finalist and now a staple of BBC's tennis coverage, has revealed that he turned down an invitation to appear on Strictly Come Dancing shortly after his retirement in 2007. The 51-year-old, who reached the semi-finals at SW19 on four occasions and was once Britain's top tennis hope, said he would "rather stick pins in my eyes" than participate in the dance competition.
Henman's Immediate Rejection of Strictly
Speaking to the i newspaper, Henman disclosed that the BBC approached him barely 30 minutes after he announced his retirement. "I got invited to go on Strictly Come Dancing the day I retired in 2007. Literally half an hour after I'd made the announcement," he said. "My answer? I'd rather stick pins in my eyes. I danced very briefly at my wedding in 1999, but not many times since. If you see me on Strictly or in the jungle (I'm a Celebrity), you know something's gone wrong."
Henman, who won 15 ATP Tour titles and reached six Grand Slam semi-finals, retired in 2007 after a distinguished career. He transitioned into broadcasting the following year and has since become a key figure in the BBC's Wimbledon coverage, as well as working with Sky Sports and TNT Sports.
Disqualification Incident at Wimbledon
Henman also recalled a memorable incident from his playing days at Wimbledon. In 1995, he became the first player in 120 years to be disqualified from the tournament. The disqualification occurred during a doubles match with Jeremy Bates against their opponents. "It was 1995 and I was playing doubles with Jeremy Bates, and we were two sets to one up. We were in the fourth set tie-break, so we were about to win," Henman explained.
"So, it wasn't as if I was having some massive tantrum, but our opponents hit two very lucky shots in a row in the tie break, and it was now their serve. I had the ball in my pocket for my second serve, but I made my first serve, so I was hitting the ball down the other end in slight frustration without really looking. And as I hit the ball, the ball girl who was the other side of the net popped her head up to run across to the other side, and I hit her in the head."
The incident led to his immediate disqualification, a rare blemish on his Wimbledon record. Despite this, Henman remains a beloved figure at the tournament, with Henman Hill—the grassy mound outside No. 1 Court—named in his honour.
Henman's Legacy and Current Role
Henman's career highlights include an Olympic silver medal and a world ranking of No. 4. He was the defining figure of British tennis in the late 1990s and early 2000s before Andy Murray emerged. Now a leading tennis pundit, Henman will be prominent in the BBC's Wimbledon coverage again this year, providing expert analysis and insights.
