Having covered the good, the bad and the ugly of the sport alongside the likes of Dan Maskell for BBC as well as Sky television, Williams is in love with the sport as much as ever.

Though, he does have some concern for how broadcasting of the sport has developed and while John McEnroe is now seen as the doyen of analysts, Williams says that a more rounded view of the former champion should be taken.

Having covered the rise of McEnroe from Superbrat to Grand Slam winner their relationship was never the best as he frowned upon the brash American's on-court antics and in particular his rivalry with Jimmy Connors.

"I thought he and Jimmy Connors were bringing disgrace to the game. The whole thing was disgraceful and I used to say so and McEnroe and I found it very difficult to have anything to do with each other," said Williams.

"I think he's a terrific commentator, very entertaining but I find it quite difficult because he brought a good deal of infamy to the game and is now being treated as if he invented the game.

"I think tennis now is in a wonderfully healthy state but if there is one thing that is wrong it is that there are too many people on message, everybody calling each other guys and nobody prepared to be critical

"McEnroe is a one-off, he's very perceptive and he's not afraid to say what he thinks... if they're good (ex-players) that's fine but ... ahh, Dan Maskell wouldn't believe it."

Williams, a devout Christian, started his media life on the Croydon Advertiser before former BBC commentator Harry Carpenter put him on the road to fulfilling his dream of sports writing.

"Harry Carpenter was having a liquid lunch with the sports editor of the Daily Mail and he said 'Harry we're looking for a young, hungry guy' and he told him about me.

"I was sub editing for a year and hating every minute of it. I didn't want to be vicariously experiencing Rome and Paris. One day I went into the office and there was this terrible quietness and I didn't know that two hours earlier the Manchester United plane had crashed in Munich.

"Eric Thompson was one of our Manchester-based football writers and he had died in the crash and I remember thinking 'I wonder who will get his job'.

"That was a terrible thing to think and I got his job. I was sent up to cover the Busby Babes and when the Babes were remembered recently it was very touigh. I felt a shame that, that been my first thought."

From there Williams would eventually join the BBC radio and television teams team, covering the sport across the globe and like everyone else was a great admirer of Bjorn Borg.

"Borg was a wonderful guy. By chance a few years ago I flew out to Qatar and Borg was on the plane on his way to an over-35s event and I said to him, Bjorn why are you still doing this stuff and said that I had heard about him having some financial issues.

"And he said that he did have some issues but he said, 'These people are my family' and that says a lot.

"Three years ago I was commentating at the end of the men's final and gradually losing my sight and by the end the sight in my right eye had gone. I went straight to hospital and was told it was a detached retina. They operated and it's fine and I thought that maybe it was time to give it up but after sitting at home last year I had to come back this year. I've seen many great players but I would say that Pete Sampras is the best I've seen.

"Federer is a mirror image but Sampras has done it and I suppose Federer is still doing it."