Henman started playing tennis before the age of three, and began systematic training in the Slater Squad at eleven. After suffering a serious injury which affected him for the better part of two years, he began touring internationally as a junior and achieved some successes. He rose quickly up the ATP rankings, and by 1996 had reached the quarter-finals of the Wimbledon Championships. Throughout his career, Henman was a noted grass specialist, only becoming truly comfortable on clay and hard court near the end of his career, when in 2004 he reached the semi-finals in both the French and US Open. The year 2005 began a decline for Henman, and from that year onwards he never managed to pass through the third round in a Grand Slam tournament. Henman retired from professional tennis in late 2007, but he remains active in the ATP Champions Tour (a tour for former professional tennis players).