Dear Santa...

Henman was unimpressed by last year's offerings

BBC tennis correspondent Iain Carter takes a look at what the leading players and officials will be hoping for on Christmas morning.

'Tis the season for writing letters to the bearded benevolent one - and I've been perusing the Christmas correspondence of some leading tennis figures.

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Tim Henman:
Dear Santa, what I want more than anything else is a serve and forehand that can stand up to the most intense of pressure. I think I can get them from my new coach Larry Stefanki.

It's vital that they are delivered because I'm now 27, I've still not managed to get past the last 16 of a Grand Slam outside Wimbledon.

Ah Wimbledon - next year's my best chance of winning the big one, so please - as a stocking filler - some good weather for my matches.

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Greg Rusedski:
Dear Santa, Christmas has come early because I already have what I really wanted - a new coach.

Now I need to make sure the re-appointment of Sven Groeneveld really works.

So please could I enjoy the kind of success we achieved the last time we worked together, when I beat Pete Sampras to win the biggest title of my career, the Paris Indoors in 1998.

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Sampras wore his Christmas jumper with pride

Pete Sampras:
Dear Santa, I've got a new coach in Tom Gullikson but is that going to be enough?

What I really need is a fresh injection of enthusiasm for tennis because I'm in danger of looking rather sad, going through the motions, and that's not the way I want to be remembered.

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John Crowther, chief executive of the Lawn Tennis Association:
Dear Santa, all I want for Christmas is for my 130 strong council to accept my plans to streamline the way we run tennis in Britain.

They've recognised the need for change, but don't agree with my suggestions.

I'm not going to back down, and plan to fight all the way, so any assistance you can give will be gratefully received.

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Patrice Hagelauer, performance director at the LTA:
Dear Pere Noel, my ideas are in place, but I need you to provide the inspiration for my coaches to deliver.

Excuses would be unwelcome, no matter how they're wrapped up - what I need are results to suggest a future beyond the Henman/Rusedski era.

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Roger Taylor, British Davis Cup Captain:
Dear Santa, all I want is for Henman and Rusedski to be fit and in form in February - oh and a world group win over Sweden.

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Miles: No Gran, I'd really rather have the money

Mark Miles, chief executive of the ATP:
Dear Santa, this is a serious request. I need sponsors and quick.

That £1.2bn gift from the Swiss sports marketing company ISL didn't materialise.

In the meantime we got rid of sponsors we didn't think we needed.

Bit embarrassing really because as a result we might have to cut prize funds next year.

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Kevin Wulff, the new chief executive of the Sanex WTA Tour:
Dear Santa, next year should be a great one for women's tennis. But I need you to deliver our top players at more events.

I'm thinking of the Williams sisters in particular and already there are encouraging signs with Venus having committed to playing two tournaments before the Australian Open.

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Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf:
Dear Santa, all we want is an unbroken night of sleep.