In the 19 years since retiring from professional tennis, Tim Henman has barely aged. A large part of that comes down to his approach to fitness. The 51-year-old believes that ‘being active is always going to be a part of my identity’, which helps him maintain a consistent training routine.
Even while spending much of his time covering tennis as a commentator and pundit, and serving on the board at Wimbledon, Henman still makes time for his own athletic pursuits. Especially now that he has a different kind of motivation.
How Tim Henman Stays Fit After Retirement
‘I’ve got a gym at home and I try to exercise pretty regularly because I feel much better for it,’ Henman tells Men’s Health. ‘But one of my passions is wine. So if I’m having a few glasses of wine – you’ve got to treat yourself – then that definitely incentivises me to get in the gym. I’ve always exercised and I think it’s good for me both physically and mentally.’
That doesn’t mean Henman is completing brutal workouts or chasing specific performance goals. Instead, he prefers a straightforward routine that supports his lifestyle and helps him manage the wear and tear accumulated during his tennis career.
‘I don’t run that much anymore. We’ve got dogs at home, so I walk them a lot, and if I’m at tournaments or working, I’ll do quite a bit of incline walking on the treadmill. Then it’s just a good mix of weights and core work. I’m not trying to run any marathons – I’m just trying to stay in relatively good shape,’ he says.
‘I understand my body and know what I can and can’t do, especially because I’ve had three elbow surgeries and a shoulder surgery. So I’m a little careful around those joints.
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‘Posture is so important for shoulder health. I focus on resistance-band exercises to make sure I’m strong through my back and maintaining good posture. Then the core is so important, so I try to stay strong through planks and side planks as much as possible.’
Why Henman Is Excited for the Laver Cup
His approach to fitness has changed dramatically over the past two decades. Where he once played tennis every day, Henman admits he’s now lucky if he gets on court twice a year. These days, golf is his sporting obsession.
That doesn’t mean he’s any less passionate about tennis, however, as he prepares to return as Team Europe vice-captain at the Laver Cup this September at The O2.
‘I’m so excited,’ he says. ‘The first time I ever experienced the Laver Cup was at The O2 when Roger Federer was retiring. I’d never seen the event live and I was probably a bit sceptical at that stage. But I was there working for television and, for those three days, I was completely blown away by the delivery of the event, the intensity of the players and the quality of the matches.
‘Tennis is an individual sport and players spend most of the year competing on their own. But I’d struggle to name any player, male or female, who doesn’t enjoy being in a team environment every once in a while.
‘The way the Laver Cup has evolved and grown is so special, and Federer deserves a lot of credit for that vision.
‘With an arena like The O2, it’s one of the biggest venues in tennis. There’ll be 17,000 or 18,000 people packed in there and, with the roof on, the atmosphere is incredible.’
Laver Cup returns to The O2, London, from 25-27 September, bringing together many of the world’s biggest tennis stars as Team Europe takes on Team World in the sport’s unique team competition. Tickets are on sale now via AXS, the official ticketing partner of The O2. Visit lavercup.com for more information.
Ryan is a Senior Writer at Men’s Health UK with a passion for storytelling, health and fitness. Having graduated from Cardiff University in 2020, and later obtaining his NCTJ qualification, Ryan started his career as a Trainee News Writer for sports titles Golf Monthly, Cycling Weekly and Rugby World before progressing to Staff Writer and subsequently Senior Writer with football magazine FourFourTwo.
During his two-and-a-half years there he wrote news stories for the website and features for the magazine, while he also interviewed names such as Les Ferdinand, Ally McCoist, Jamie Redknapp and Antonio Rudiger, among many others. His standout memory, though, came when getting the opportunity to speak to then-Plymouth Argyle manager Steven Schumacher as the club won League One in 2023.
Having grown up a keen footballer and playing for his boyhood side until the age of 16, Ryan got the opportunity to represent Northern Ireland national futsal team eight times, scoring three goals against England, Scotland and Gibraltar. Now past his peak, Ryan prefers to mix weightlifting with running – he achieved a marathon PB of 3:31:49 at Manchester in April 2025, but credits the heat for failing to get below the coveted 3:30 mark…
You can follow Ryan on Instagram @ryan.dabbs or on X @ryandabbs_
