Henman Hill

Last updated

"Aorangi Terrace", side view Henman Hill side.jpg
"Aorangi Terrace", side view
"Aorangi Terrace", front view Henman Hill front.jpg
"Aorangi Terrace", front view
"Aorangi Terrace", rear view Henman Hill rear.jpg
"Aorangi Terrace", rear view

Aorangi Terrace, commonly known as "Henman Hill", alongside a series of other nicknames, [1] is a mostly grassed banked area in the grounds of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club where, during the annual Wimbledon tennis championships, crowds of people without show court tickets can watch the tennis matches live on a giant television screen at the side of No. 1 Court.

Contents

During television broadcasts of matches, cameras often sweep over the area, and sports journalists frequently conduct vox pops and interviews with members of the crowd. The terrace is also the main site for spectators to eat picnics. [2]

Aorangi Terrace's nickname of Henman Hill emerged in the late 1990s when British supporters would congregate to watch the matches of Tim Henman at the site. [1] [3] The hill is frequently given other alliterative nicknames relating to British players competing at Wimbledon (Rusedski Ridge, Murray Mound, [1] ' Heather Hill, Robson Green, [4] Konta Contour, Raducanu Rise, [5] Raducanu Ridge, [6] Norrie Knoll [7] etc.) but Henman Hill has remained the most commonly used phrase. [8] [9]

History

The terrace is named after Aorangi Park, the London New Zealand Rugby Club's grounds, which were on the site until 1981. Aorangi refers to the 'canonical' Māori description of Aoraki, the highest mountain in New Zealand, also known as Mount Cook. A new big screen was installed on the site following the construction of the new No. 1 Court in 1997. [10] This coincided with the popularity of British player Tim Henman, and the site soon gained the nickname "Henman Hill", [3] becoming a focal point for so-called Henmania. There is a "Henmans Hill" in Clifton, Bristol, England and anecdotally a supporter attending Wimbledon at the time was from that area and gave the hill that name, it being very similar to "Henman". British tennis followers would fanatically support four-time Wimbledon semi-finalist Henman as he played often dramatic matches in his many attempts to win the title. [11]

Since Henman's retirement in 2007, [12] the area has been colloquially named after other British tennis players. Most frequently, the site has been associated with Andy Murray, with names such as Murray Mound, [13] Mount Murray, [14] Murray Mountain [15] and Murrayfield (in reference to the stadium in Edinburgh of the same name) [16] all used.

As of 2021, the name "Henman Hill" is still used by the BBC and other media in reference to the area. [17] In 2009, Tim Henman stated on Friday Night with Jonathan Ross that he had agreed with Andy Murray it is still "Henman Hill". Henman joked that "[Murray] can have all those grand slams he's going to win but I'm keeping my hill."

Tennis pundits and tabloids have occasionally referred to the hill according to the names of a series of other British players who have participated at Wimbledon. During Greg Rusedski's matches, the area was sometimes called Rusedski Ridge; [18] Robson Ridge [19] or Robson Green [20] [21] have been used in reference to Laura Robson; plus Heather Hill [22] and Konta Kop [23] in reference to Heather Watson and Johanna Konta.

Most recently, the success of Emma Raducanu in the 2021 US Open led to speculation over the name Raducanu Ridge being used at Wimbledon 2022, in line with Rusedski Ridge and Robson Ridge. Other potential names for the site were suggested by the BBC, with Raducanu Rise [5] coming out as the public's favourite.

For the 2022 Wimbledon tournament, Henman Hill was re-created by the AELTC in New York City, from 8 to 10 July. Dubbed the "Hill in New York", it was set up in Brooklyn Bridge Park at Pier 6, which also offered panoramic views of Lower Manhattan. Tickets were available on a walk-in basis up to a limit of 1,000 people per day. [24] [25]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wimbledon Championships</span> Tennis tournament held in London

The Championships, commonly known simply as Wimbledon, is the oldest tennis tournament in the world and is regarded by many as the most prestigious. It has been held at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon, London, since 1877 and is played on outdoor grass courts, with retractable roofs over the two main courts since 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tim Henman</span> British tennis player

Timothy Henry Henman is a British former professional tennis player. Henman played a serve-and-volley style of tennis. He was the first British man to reach the singles semifinals of Wimbledon since Roger Taylor in the 1970s. Henman reached six major semifinals and won 15 career ATP Tour titles, including the 2003 Paris Masters. He also earned a 40–14 win-loss record with the Great Britain Davis Cup team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greg Rusedski</span> British-Canadian tennis player

Gregory Rusedski is a British-Canadian former professional tennis player. He was the British No. 1 in 1997, 1999 and 2006, and reached the ATP ranking of world No. 4 for periods from 6 October 1997 to 12 October 1997 and from 25 May 1998 to 21 June 1998.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andy Murray</span> British tennis player (born 1987)

Sir Andrew Barron Murray is a British professional tennis player. He was ranked world No. 1 in singles by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) for 41 weeks, and finished as the year-end No. 1 in 2016. Murray has won three Grand Slam singles titles, two at Wimbledon and one at the US Open (2012), and has reached eleven major finals. Murray was ranked in the top 10 for all but one month from July 2008 through to October 2017, and was no lower than world No. 4 in eight of the nine year-end rankings during that span. Murray has won 46 ATP Tour singles titles, including 14 Masters 1000 events and two gold medals at the Summer Olympics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club</span> Private members club in Wimbledon, England

The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club (AELTC), also known as the All England Club, based at Church Road, Wimbledon, London, England, is a private members' club. It is best known as the venue for the Wimbledon Championships, the only Grand Slam tennis event still held on grass. Initially an amateur event that occupied club members and their friends for a few days each summer, the championships have become far more prominent than the club itself. However, it still operates as a members' tennis club.

Nick Brown is a tennis coach and former professional tennis player from the United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Centre Court</span> Main court at a tennis complex, specifically at Wimbledon

Centre Court is a tennis court at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club and is the main court used in The Championships at Wimbledon, the third annual Grand Slam event of the tennis calendar. It is considered the world's most famous tennis court. It incorporates the clubhouse of the All England Club. Its only regular use for play is during the two weeks a year that the Championships take place. Centre Court has a premier box, known as the Royal Box, for use by the Royal Family and other distinguished guests. It is the sixth largest tennis-specific stadium in the world by capacity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">No. 1 Court (Wimbledon)</span> Tennis court at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, Wimbledon, London

No. 1 Court is a tennis court at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, Wimbledon, London. Opened in 1997, it is used primarily for the Wimbledon Championships. It also occasionally plays host to Great Britain's Davis Cup home ties, as Centre Court is reserved for the Grand Slam tournament, with the one exception of the 2012 Olympic Games.

Turbo extra Tennis is a shortened form of tennis in which players play in a fast knockout tournament which consists of five matches of 30 minutes each, taking place over the course of a single afternoon. The idea was launched in London by former Wimbledon champion Pat Cash, American world number nine James Blake and English Entrepreneur Andi White.

Tony Pickard is a British former tennis player turned coach. He is best known as the longtime coach of former world No. 1 Stefan Edberg.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Miles Maclagan</span> Zambian-born British tennis player and coach

Miles Maclagan is a Zambia born British tennis coach and former professional tennis player. He formerly coached British No.1s Laura Robson and Andy Murray.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Laura Robson</span> British tennis player

Laura Robson is a British former professional tennis player. She debuted on the ITF Junior Circuit in 2007, and a year later won the Junior Wimbledon championships at the age of 14. As a junior, she also twice reached the final of the girls' singles tournament at the Australian Open, in 2009 and 2010. She won her first tournament on the ITF Women's Circuit in November 2008.

Andy Murray is a professional tennis player who has been ranked world number 1 for 41 weeks. He is the only player, male or female, to win two Olympic gold medals in singles, which he did at the 2012 and 2016 Summer Olympics. He has reached eleven grand slam finals in total, winning the 2016 Wimbledon Championships, 2013 Wimbledon Championships and the 2012 US Open, and finished as runner-up at the 2008 US Open, the 2010, 2011, 2013, 2015 and 2016 Australian Open, at Wimbledon in 2012 and the 2016 French Open.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Johanna Konta</span> British tennis player

Johanna Konta is a retired British tennis player, having represented Australia until 2012. She won four singles titles on the WTA Tour, along with eleven titles in singles and four in doubles on the ITF Women's Circuit. She was British No. 1 and reached a career-high singles ranking of world No. 4 on 17 July 2017. She reached the semifinals of the Australian Open, Wimbledon and the French Open.

Andrew Richardson is a British former professional tennis player, and now a coach.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kyle Edmund</span> British tennis player

Kyle Steven Edmund is a South African-born British professional tennis player. He has a career-high singles ranking of world No. 14 and was the top-ranked male British tennis player from March 2018 to October 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2013 Wimbledon Championships – Men's singles final</span> Tennis match

The 2013 Wimbledon Championships Men's Singles final was the championship tennis match of the Men's Singles tournament at the 2013 Wimbledon Championships. A significant part of the Djokovic–Murray rivalry, it pitted the world's top two players, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray, against each other in a Grand Slam final for the fourth time.

Ashleigh Barty defeated Karolína Plíšková in the final, 6–3, 6–7(4–7), 6–3 to win the ladies' singles tennis title at the 2021 Wimbledon Championships. It was her second major singles title. She became the first Australian to win the title since Evonne Goolagong Cawley in 1980, the first top seed to win the title since Serena Williams in 2016 and the first to do so at any major since Simona Halep at the 2018 French Open. Barty's victory made her the fourth player to win the women's singles title after previously winning the girls' singles title. She retained the world No. 1 ranking by reaching the semifinals, with Aryna Sabalenka having also been in contention for the top ranking.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emma Raducanu</span> British tennis player (born 2002)

Emma Raducanu is a British professional tennis player. She reached a career-high ranking of No. 10 by the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) on 11 July 2022, and is a former British No. 1. Raducanu is the first British woman to win a Grand Slam singles title since Virginia Wade at the 1977 Wimbledon Championships.

The 2021 US Open Women's Singles final was the championship tennis match of the women's singles tournament at the 2021 US Open, contested by two unseeded players, qualifier Emma Raducanu and 73rd-ranked Leylah Fernandez. The match was notable for being the first time that a qualifier had ever advanced to the final of a major, for being the first all-teenage major final since the 1999 US Open, and for being the first major final where both finalists were born in the 21st century. Fernandez had defeated four players ranked in the top 20 to reach the final: Naomi Osaka, Angelique Kerber, Elina Svitolina, and Aryna Sabalenka. Meanwhile, Raducanu beat two seeds, 11th seed and Tokyo 2020 gold medallist Belinda Bencic, and 17th seed Maria Sakkari, and had advanced through all her matches, including qualifiers, without dropping a set.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Hill / Large Screen". Wimbledon . Retrieved 17 June 2021. More formally known as Aorangi Terrace, the Hill is situated to the north of No.1 Court, and has become a popular area for Grounds Pass Ticket Holders to watch the action on the Show Courts. During the 1990s, it was widely known as 'Henman Hill', as British fans gathered to watch the British No.1 compete in four Wimbledon Semi-finals. It has since also been dubbed 'Murray Mound', reflecting the support for Andy Murray at Wimbledon.
  2. ↑ "Wimbledon 2006 guide". Bbc.co.uk. 19 June 2006. Retrieved 2 July 2008.
  3. 1 2 "Henman - Henmania hits Britain". BBC Sport . 22 September 2007. Retrieved 2 July 2008.
  4. ↑ Coates, Jon (30 June 2013). "Laura gives Murray Mound a new name: Robson Green". Express.co.uk. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
  5. 1 2 "Emma Raducanu: What should we call the hill at Wimbledon? - CBBC Newsround". Bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 10 August 2022.
  6. ↑ "Raducanu Ridge? How Wimbledon's fans on the hill fell for a new star". The Guardian. 3 July 2021.
  7. ↑ Majendie, Matt (4 July 2022). "Norrie calls on public to get behind him as last Brit at Wimbledon". Evening Standard. Retrieved 19 April 2023.
  8. ↑ McAlpine, Fraser. "Why Wimbledon's Henman Hill Will Never Become Murray Mound". BBC America. Retrieved 17 June 2015.
  9. ↑ Walker, Peter. "Crowds gather on Wimbledon's Murray Mount – or is it still Henman Hill?". The Guardian . Retrieved 17 June 2015.
  10. ↑ Gorringe, Chris (2009). Holding Court. London: Random House. ISBN   978-0-09-952599-8.
  11. ↑ Perry, Alex (5 July 2002). "Happy on Henman hill". BBC Sport . Retrieved 2 July 2008.
  12. ↑ Cheese, Caroline (21 September 2007). "Happy Henman's fitting finale?". BBC Sport . Retrieved 2 July 2008.
  13. ↑ Davies, Caroline (22 June 2010). "Wimbledon 2010: Andy Murray is lone survivor in Britain's worst year ever". The Guardian . London. Retrieved 24 June 2010. But if the mania on the steep grass verge now informally called "Murray mound" was muted, it was not only down to nerves...
  14. ↑ Ellen, Barbara (29 June 2008). "We cuddle up to Nelson, but fight shy of ending discrimination". The Observer . London. Retrieved 2 July 2008.
  15. ↑ Rajan, Amol (23 June 2009). "Fans on Murray Mountain are older and wiser – but their hopes are high". The Independent . London. Retrieved 24 June 2010.
  16. ↑ Martyn McLaughlin (27 June 2008). "True Brit... it's game, set and match again as crowd howls for the underdog". The Scotsman . Edinburgh. Retrieved 2 July 2008.
  17. ↑ Majendie, Matt (16 June 2021). "Henman Hill open to spectators at this year's Wimbledon". Evening Standard . Retrieved 17 June 2021.
  18. ↑ Tongue, Steve (3 July 2002). "Rusedski falters at crucial point to fall to Malisse". The Independent . London. Retrieved 24 June 2010. So "Rusedski Ridge" is no more and will become "Henman Hill" again...
  19. ↑ Esther Addley (1 July 2013). "Laura Robson must wait for her chance to rename Murray's Mound". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 5 July 2013.
  20. ↑ "Laura Robson is built to succeed". Express.co.uk. 24 June 2013. Retrieved 5 July 2013.
  21. ↑ Pitcher, Tom (23 June 2009). "Murray Mound replaces Robson Green at Wimbledon". Left field: The Reuters global sports blog. Reuters. Archived from the original on 27 June 2009. Retrieved 4 July 2013.
  22. ↑ "Wimbledon 2012: day five as it happened". BBC Sport. 29 June 2012. Retrieved 4 July 2013.
  23. ↑ "Konta fans fume as Wimbledon switches big screen match to Murray". The Guardian. 10 July 2017.
  24. ↑ "Ladies and gentlemen, please take your seats… For three days only, Wimbledon's iconic fan destination, the Hill, is coming to New York City, Brooklyn Bridge Park, Pier 6". Wimbledon.com. Retrieved 10 August 2022.
  25. ↑ "Wimbledon's Henman Hill coming to Brooklyn waterfront". Tennis.com. Retrieved 3 August 2022.

51°26′08″N0°12′58″W / 51.435564°N 0.215982°W / 51.435564; -0.215982

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.