Tim Henman: 'We must be patient with Emma Raducanu – she will be around for a long time'

Champions may change but some things remain steadfast institutions of Wimbledon: tennis whites, strawberries and cream and Pimm’s are symbolic of the traditions held dear in SW19. Centre Court is obviously the most iconic location within the All England Club but, whether you have attended in reality or are an armchair fan, Henman Hill comes a close second.

There may have been attempts to rename it Murray Mound when Sir Andy was in his pomp, but to most tennis fans it will forever be synonymous with Tim Henman. Despite never claiming a title at SW19, Henman is also a Wimbledon institution in his own right having sparked the British tennis renaissance, being a member of the All England Club board and his familiar role as a broadcaster for the BBC.

It is easy to forget that the 47-year-old, who built a reputation as the likeable nearly man making four semi-finals, had a rocky introduction to the British public. As a 20-year-old, he became, along with doubles partner Jeremy Bates, the first player in the Open era to be disqualified from Wimbledon.

Henman accidentally hit a ball girl on the side of her head with a ball, having flayed his racket in frustration. As he hit the ball in anger, an automatic disqualification was ruled for unsportsmanlike conduct. The next day Henman presented the ball girl with a bouquet of flowers and his nice-guy persona was born in the media.

The incident was a turning point in his career. “I was the first person ever to be disqualified. And that was obviously not a good moment when I accidentally hit a ball girl with a ball. I remember in 1995 thinking, ‘Wow, I better have some half-decent results [next year] because I don’t want to be remembered as the first person to be disqualified at