By IANS
New York : Tim Henman has confirmed he will retire from professional tennis after appearing for Great Britain in a Davis Cup tie against Croatia Sep 21-23.
Henman, who turned professional in 1993, announced his decision Thursday at a press conference here just four days before the start of the US Open.
He will begin his 49th career Grand Slam against Dmitry Tursunov of Russia.
“I did hope to play at Wimbledon next year but I think when I started practising again on hard courts, the way I felt helped it become a little more clear cut for me,” said Henman, who reached a career-high number four in the ATP rankings July 8, 2002.
“Playing in that pain and the problem in my back made it an uphill battle.
“For the level I’ve played and the things I have been able to achieve in tennis, I didn’t want to keep plugging away for the limited rewards it looked like I would be getting.
“And 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.”
Fast approaching his 33rd birthday Sep 6, Henman has won just three matches on the ATP circuit this year against 11 losses and has struggled to overcome a back injury. His wife Lucy is expecting their third child next month.
“It’s not necessarily the end of things for me,” Henman added.
“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. I’m looking forward to stepping away from things.”
The right-handed serve and volleyer has won 11 career singles titles, including the 2003 Paris Masters.
Henman has reached six career Grand Slam semi-finals, including four at Wimbledon. He earned a silver medal in doubles with Neil Broad at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.