Tim Henman has criticised the commitment of the country's next generation of tennis hopefuls.
The British number one said Andy Murray was the exception to the rule, but some of the 18-year-old's contemporaries seemed to lack interest in the sport.
"I've always felt that my generation was the last group to have passion about the game," he told the Observer. "Some of today's guys don't seem to share that interest and it shows." Henman said it was not down to a lack of talent, but a lack of enthusiasm - and this was no-one's fault but the players'.
"The Lawn Tennis Association take the heat a lot of the time but I think the criticism should be directed at the players themselves," said Henman. "They have got to decide how much they want it. Obviously I exclude Andy Murray from any collective criticism as I think he has a fantastic future."
Murray's exploits in reaching the third round at Wimbledon this year grabbed the headlines, and Henman said there was no doubting his ability or his enthusiasm.
"He has no holes in his game and is a deceptively good athlete," he said. "Having people question his stamina after that great effort against David Nalbandian at Wimbledon will put a dent in his pride and he'll learn from it. I'm sure he's got what it takes."
I agree with Henman but I'm not sure why that is the case. Any ideas? It would be especially interesting to hear from non-UK posters as this seems to be a domestic issue. Why do our young players lack the drive to succeed?
