Emma Raducanu news: Tim Henman exclusive on Wimbledon, Andy Murray and praising the LTA

Wimbledon
Andy Murray and Tim Henman

Tim Henman believes this year’s Wimbledon Championship could be a celebration of the success of British tennis, as he looked forward to a revamped 14-day tournament.

Speaking exclusively to Tennis365 in his role as a Eurosport analyst, the former British No 1 and four-time Wimbledon semi-finalist suggested this year’s grass court Grand Slam has the potential to be one of the best in many years.

With Emma Raducanu set to make her Centre Court debut at some point in this year’s Championships, Andy Murray striving to defy his doubters by having one more golden run at Wimbledon and Novak Djokovic set to return to defend his title, Henman suggested the stories will be overflowing at an event set to get underway on June 27th.

This will be the first year Wimbledon does not have a ‘Middle Sunday’ break and it will be the 100th year of the event being staged at its iconic SW19 home, inspiring Henman to suggest pulses will be racing for the grass court extravaganza.

“It’s hugely exciting,” Henman told Tennis365. “It’s the centenary of the Church Road site, we are playing on the middle Sunday for the first time and then you throw in the Brits, led by Emma (Raducanu), Andy (Murray) and Cam Norrie, it’s going to be exciting.

“British tennis is in the best place it has been in a long time. There is real belief and we have lots of great players coming through.”

Henman went on to suggest Britain’s Lawn Tennis Association deserves praise for the successes in the British game over the last year, with Raducanu’s US Open win backed up by success for Cameron Norrie on the ATP singles tour.

“With the LTA, the past when results haven’t been good, they are the ones that get the criticism,” he added.  “Now that results have been good and there are playing coming through, they deserve credit.

“They are still areas to keep working on, but there has to be a little bit of credit where it is due.”

Meanwhile, Wimbledon could set for more big changes in the coming years, with the prospect of a brand new show court moving closer this week.

Plans to build a brand new show court have been met with opposition, as the building project would take place on the listed parkland soil.

Yet attempts to block the project failed to pass at council meeting, meaning the All England Club can look to push forward with plans for a 95-metre long, 28-metre high, 8,000-seat “Parkland show court”.

Andy Murray Emma Raducanu Tim Henman

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