Tim Henman passed the torch to Andy Murray as Great Britain’s best hope for a Grand Slam, and the elder star explained what he first thought of the future three-time major champion.
Henman kept a watchful eye on Murray’s incredible career, and the two men have remained firm friends since the Scottish star’s retirement.
Murray and Henman’s careers briefly overlapped in the mid-2000s, as the latter was coming to the end of his career.
Henman detailed his first meeting with Murray from 2005, and revealed what most struck him about the future Wimbledon winner.
Tim Henman was stunned by Andy Murray’s belief during 2005 meeting
Murray and Henman’s first meeting came during a Davis Cup training camp in La Manga, Spain in 2005, the same year the Scot made his Team GB debut.
In the Sky documentary, Andy Murray: Grit, Glory and Legacy, Henman described Murray during their first meeting as ‘a bit shy’.
However, the former World No. 4 was equally as stunned by Murray’s knowledge of the game and incredible mentality.
“You immediately understood that he was a student of the game, and he was really soaking up all the information and all the goings on around Davis Cup,” revealed Henman.
“We were obviously at a much higher level than him, but you could tell that he had a belief,” added the six-time Grand Slam semi-finalist.
“It’s where he wanted to be. It’s where he thought he would be and, from those early days, it was pretty impressive to see how rapidly he went through the ranks.”
Henman and Murray met four times in singles competitions as their careers crossed over, with the Scottish star winning three of their meetings.
Andy Murray said he wouldn’t be playing tennis without Tim Henman
Henman was an inspiration to many British tennis players coming up in the early 2000s, and Murray has often cited the star as a huge influence on his career.
The two men first met at the Swiss Indoors in Basel, which saw Murray pick up a three-set victory over his mentor.
Murray was emotional after picking up the win against the British great and applauded Henman in his post-match interview (via Sky Sports).
“If it wasn’t for Tim I wouldn’t be playing,” he said. “I tried not to show emotion, but at the end I couldn’t hold it in.”
