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October 12, 2015

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Home » Supplement » Tennis Masters Cup

Veteran Haas still isn’t ready to call it quits

By Bivash Mukherjee | October 12, 2015, Monday | Print Edition

At 37, and countless surgeries later, former world No. 2 Tommy Haas still finds the strength to play tennis — his famed baseball cap stylishly pulled backwards.

At an age when most professional tennis players have hung up their rackets and moved on, the German has tirelessly worked his way back to the tour from shoulder and hip operations.

It isn’t always easy, staying mentally and physically fit and retaining the hunger to attain more success.

“It’s a lot of discipline and desire, trying to make sure you’re fit and giving yourself the best chance. And even when you do all that stuff, it doesn’t mean you’re going to win matches, either,” Haas told the New York Times.

In a career spanning two decades, Haas has played 885 tour-level matches, many of them classic duels against the world’s best. While in his prime, he has beaten Roger Federer — someone he considers an all-time great — three times. He has also defeated his childhood idol Andre Agassi, but never managed to get a win over Rafael Nadal. There have also been memorable matches against the likes of Pete Sampras, Marat Safin and James Blake.

His perseverance on the court has made him popular with fans as could be seen at this year’s US Open in August, where he dragged Fernando Verdasco to five sets before succumbing in the first round.

Despite the early loss, he still isn’t ready to quit, probably taking a cue from baseball great Yogi Berra, who famously said: “It ain’t over ’til it’s over.”

Since turning pro in 1996, Haas, who also holds US citizenship, has locked horns with each of the 16 players who eventually made it to the summit of the ATP rankings.

A versatile athlete on all surfaces, Haas made it to the US Open quarterfinals three times, appeared in three semifinals at the Australian Open, a semifinal on the fabled grass of Wimbledon, and reached his best-ever ranking of No. 2 in 2002. He has won 15 ATP titles and earned more than US$13 million in prize money.

Currently ranked 351, Shanghai fans will be hoping to see some of his grit and his classic one-handed backhand. With the tour only getting younger, Haas may probably be looking for that perfect finish to his career.

But for now, “it is still too early to talk about it,” he says.

In this exclusive chat with Shanghai Daily, Haas spoke of what keeps him ticking on the tour.

SD: Tommy, you have battled a series of injury-related disappointments in your career. Most players would have called it quits but you ... What is it that keeps you going on the tennis circuit?

Haas: I just love the sport of tennis and feel that it is not over yet. From time to time I have the opportunity to play in front of a huge crowd and these are the moments I am still playing for.

SD: You also seem to be defying age … how do you manage that?

Haas: It is actually not so easy. I need to do a lot of recovery training and physiotherapy before and after the match. This costs me plenty of time but is absolutely necessary to still play.

SD: Did retirement ever cross your mind? How do you keep yourself motivated?

Haas: Of course, after another injury you think about quitting. After my loss at the Australian Open in 2014 I was ready to quit … but something in my head made me continue.

SD: Who was the greatest athlete you competed against?

Haas: I think that Roger Federer is the greatest of all time and it was always a pleasure to compete with him.

SD: In a career spanning almost two decades is there any particular match that stands out? And why?

Haas: Well, there are so many particular matches as you can imagine. Obviously those finals that you win stay in your mind the most. I think that my semifinal at the Olympic Games in Sydney is one of the greatest moments as well.

SD: Who was your inspiration growing up?

Haas: When I was young, I always admired Andre Agassi.

SD: Rafael Nadal has been battling injuries too for some time now. Do you think he will ever return to his best again?

Haas: Rafa is such a great champion with incredible skills. He is still quite young and I am sure he will be back very soon.

SD: Among the new breed of players, is there anyone who stands out and, according to you, has the potential to become the world No. 1 in the future?

Haas: From a German perspective I hope for Alexander Zverev who is incredibly talented. If he continues like that he can become one of the best players in the world.

SD: Have you played in Asia and Shanghai before? What are your expectations from the Shanghai Masters?

Haas: Yes, I played in Shanghai two years ago. What I remember is that the Chinese fans were amazing and that the venue is one of the best I’ve ever seen.

SD: Anything planned out for future after you leave the sport?

Haas: There are definitely some plans to stay in the tennis business, but it’s still too early to talk about it.

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