ABU DHABI // While Roger Federer has acknowledged that retiring from tennis had crossed his mind, one former elite player has revealed the challenges of finding the perfect time to hang up the racquet for good.
Tim Henman, 40, who took part in the Tennis at the Palace exhibition at Emirates Palace this year, retired in September 2007 after helping Britain beat Croatia in the Davis Cup at one of his favourite venues — Wimbledon.
The chance to sign off a 15-year career on the courts where his name was so well known seemed fitting, and his final singles match saw him beat Roko Karanusic in straight sets before he partnered with Jamie Murray to win their doubles match against Marin Cilic and Lovro Zovko in four sets.
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Henman said that finding the ideal moment to walk away is not always straightforward.
“When you are starting it is much easier because everything is in front of you,” he said during his visit to Abu Dhabi. “If you are ranked 1,000th you want to be 500th in the world and so on, and there are all these tournaments you want to get into and go on to win.
“When it gets to the other end it is harder. Do I play a full year? Do I play up to a certain event? Those are the questions you immediately think when you have the thought in your mind, so for me it was absolutely perfect to finish at Wimbledon.”
In Henman’s case he had not thought for too long about quitting. He had a back injury and had fallen outside the top 50 in the ATP rankings having previously been as high as fourth.
The catalyst came through a conversation with his coach, Paul Annacone, as they prepared to head to the United States in the summer of 2007 after he had exited Wimbledon in the second round, far short of his runs to the semi-finals in 1998, 1999, 2001 and 2002.
“It was in July, early August and I was in America playing the hard-court tournaments in the lead-up to the US Open,” Henman said.
“I was struggling with my back a bit and I had been at the top end of the game for so long I didn’t feel if my back was getting better. I was spending so much time at the gym and on the practice courts and I was not necessarily getting the rewards that I wanted.
“I was not going to be travelling around the world making up the numbers, and I remember saying to my coach that for the first time ever this is becoming a job and not my hobby.
“He said to me, ‘if you are not enjoying it, don’t do it’. I looked at him and said, ‘what, retire?’ and he said, ‘why do you want to carry on if you don’t enjoy it?’
“As soon as he said that I saw my schedule and I had two Masters series in Toronto and Cincinnati, the US Open and the Davis Cup at Wimbledon and it was just perfect to play and win my last game at Wimbledon where I had so many happy memories.”
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NO OTHER LAND
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Rating: 3.5/5
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
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The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
Women & Power: A Manifesto
Mary Beard
Profile Books and London Review of Books
MEYDAN RESULTS
6.30pm Baniyas (PA) Group 2 Dh125,000 (Dirt) 1,400m
Winner ES Ajeeb, Sam Hitchcock (jockey), Ibrahim Aseel (trainer).
7.05pm Maiden (TB) Dh165,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner Galaxy Road, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi.
7.40pm Maiden (TB) Dh165,000 (D) 1,400m
Winner Al Modayar, Fernando Jara, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.
8.15pm Handicap (TB) Dh170,000 (D) 1,900m
Winner Gundogdu, Xavier Ziani, Salem bin Ghadayer.
8.50pm Rated Conditions (TB) Dh240,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner George Villiers, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar.
9.25pm Handicap (TB) Dh175,000 (D)1,200m
Winner Lady Parma, Connor Beasley, Satish Seemar
10pm Handicap (TB) Dh165,000 (D) 1,400m
Winner Zaajer, Fernando Jara, Ali Rashid Al Raihe
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
Bareilly Ki Barfi
Directed by: Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari
Starring: Kriti Sanon, Ayushmann Khurrana, Rajkummar Rao
Three and a half stars
If you go
Flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh with a stop in Yangon from Dh3,075, and Etihad flies from Abu Dhabi to Phnom Penh with its partner Bangkok Airlines from Dh2,763. These trips take about nine hours each and both include taxes. From there, a road transfer takes at least four hours; airlines including KC Airlines (www.kcairlines.com) offer quick connecting flights from Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville from about $100 (Dh367) return including taxes. Air Asia, Malindo Air and Malaysian Airlines fly direct from Kuala Lumpur to Sihanoukville from $54 each way. Next year, direct flights are due to launch between Bangkok and Sihanoukville, which will cut the journey time by a third.
The stay
Rooms at Alila Villas Koh Russey (www.alilahotels.com/ kohrussey) cost from $385 per night including taxes.
