Henman started the 2001 ATP season with a ranking of tenth in the world. At the Adelaide International Henman lost in the semi-finals to Nicolás Massú. His next tournament was the Australian Open; Henman had wins over Hicham Arazi, Nicolás Lapentti, and Wayne Arthurs, but lost to Patrick Rafter in the fourth round in straight sets. He then won the Copenhagen Open, dispatching Andreas Vinciguerra in two sets. Henman then lost in the second round of the Rotterdam Open. Rotterdam was followed by a defeat in the Scottsdale Open. In March, Henman reached the third round at Indian Wells, where he lost to Nicolás Lapentti in straight sets. The hard court season wrapped up with the Miami Masters where Henman lost in round two to Fabrice Santoro.