Tim Henman, the former Wimbledon star turned pundit, has revealed that he turned down an invitation from the BBC to appear on Strictly Come Dancing less than an hour after announcing his retirement in 2007. The 51-year-old British tennis legend, who reached the semi-finals at Wimbledon four times and was world number four, said he would rather 'stick pins in my eyes' than take part in the dance competition.
Henman's Swift Rejection of Strictly
Speaking to the i newspaper, Henman explained that the BBC wasted no time in approaching him. '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… Get Me Out of Here!), you know something's gone wrong.'
From Player to BBC Pundit
Despite his rejection of Strictly, Henman soon became a staple of the BBC's Wimbledon coverage. The six-time Grand Slam semi-finalist and Olympic silver medallist won 15 ATP Tour titles during his career and is immortalised at Wimbledon, where Henman Hill is named after him. He retired in 2007 and transitioned into commentary within a year, appearing on BBC, Sky Sports, and TNT Sports. He continues to front the BBC's Wimbledon coverage, including this year's tournament.
Disqualification at Wimbledon in 1995
Henman also recalled a less positive memory from his playing days: his disqualification from Wimbledon in 1995, the first such incident in 120 years. '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,' he said. '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.'
