Age is merely just a number Tommy Haas

[tenniskiosk]

Here are my thoughts on Tommy Haas's career so far. what are your thoughts?

At the age of 35, Tommy Haas is currently the oldest player being ranked in the top 20 of the ATP rankings. His life on tour has not always been like this. Tommy Haas has an injury-plagued past that has been persistently hindering him from competing with the higher echelons of tennis. It might have been tough for him but tougher he is for he is back stronger than ever.

Tommy Haas began his career in 1996 and was soon identified by many to be the next rising star of tennis as he became the youngest player to ever finish the year 1997 in the top 50. Tommy was indeed a promising talent, rising to world number 2 in May 2002. Just when all seemed perfect for Tommy, the world started to crash down on him as his parents almost met with a fatal accident that ruled him out of tennis for 6 weeks. At the same time, Haas was also suffering from a shoulder injury that he never really recovered from. This injury continued to hamper him through the course of his career, forcing him to undergo several surgeries. It is devastating for Tommy Haas to confront multiple injuries at the prime age of his career, and the thought of this might just have been the impetus for the motivation of his multiple come backs. Perhaps the only remedy for him was to be back on the courts and winning matches.

Can this unfortunate plague of injuries be placed on his fate? Or are these experiences meant to keep Tommy on track for what he has in stall. Whichever it is, Tommy Haas is a fighter that defies the intuitive age of slowing down, and perhaps the saying “Whatever doesn’t kill you makes you stronger” is relevant to what Tommy Haas has been able to do.

Tommy Haas’s career is difficult, yet he has never let up on any possibilities that he might come back stronger than before. This relentless spirit of his is well worth a few grand slam titles, and I have my deepest respect for what Tommy has been able to achieve. Even though Tommy’s accolades may not be able to speak for what he is truly capable of, I believe that any sports critic will resign to the fact that Tommy Haas is indeed a champion in his own right.

When I observe a career such as Tommy Haas’s, it truly baffles me how the setback Roger Federer is going through now is even considered to be a hurdle for him. If Roger is able to adopt the tenacity and will that Tommy Haas has, he will undoubtedly be the ideal tennis champion Federer fans around the world long for.

visit me at
http://tenniskiosk.com/

 

[Kieran]

I think it's great that Tommy is lasting so long and relishing this late burst. He hasn't had it easy, as you say, although very early in his career it was obvious he had difficulty at the very highest levels. He wasn't cut out for winning majors. Not everyone is. But his style of play is always exciting to watch and his energy now in attacking the top players is a sight to behold. I think we may still get another couple of years out of old Tom...

 

[tenniskiosk]

I think it's great that Tommy is lasting so long and relishing this late burst. He hasn't had it easy, as you say, although very early in his career it was obvious he had difficulty at the very highest levels. He wasn't cut out for winning majors. Not everyone is. But his style of play is always exciting to watch and his energy now in attacking the top players is a sight to behold. I think we may still get another couple of years out of old Tom...

I think it's a little harsh to say that he is not cut out to be a grand slam winner. Given the level of tennis he is at his age, I believe he will be much better at his prime age, well worthy of being a grand slam contender. And I think its better to address him as veteran Tom

 

[Murat Baslamisli]

I like Haas. I like his style. "Age" might be "just a number", but mileage and wear and tear are just facts of life. Haas played 850 matches in his career. As an example, Roger has played 1130. That is almost 4 years worth of tennis, so if you look at "tennis age" Roger is older than Tommy.

For me, the injuries Haas suffered, as unlucky and unfortunate they might have been, are the REASON he is playing today. You can put Agassi there too...He had serious breaks in his career that saved his body and helped his longevity. Roger played high level tennis , without a serious break, for almost 14 years. Therein lies the difference.

 

[Kieran]

I think it's great that Tommy is lasting so long and relishing this late burst. He hasn't had it easy, as you say, although very early in his career it was obvious he had difficulty at the very highest levels. He wasn't cut out for winning majors. Not everyone is. But his style of play is always exciting to watch and his energy now in attacking the top players is a sight to behold. I think we may still get another couple of years out of old Tom...

I think it's a little harsh to say that he is not cut out to be a grand slam winner. Given the level of tennis he is at his age, I believe he will be much better at his prime age, well worthy of being a grand slam contender. And I think its better to address him as veteran Tom

You might not remember Tommy Haas when he was young. I do. He was never gonna be a great player. He'd need extraordinary conditions if he was to win a slam. Veteran Tom as a youngster still found it easier to defer to somebody than to crunch them, at the highest levels. This isn't a criticism, it's an observation...

 

[Front242]

Tommy Haas is one of my favourite players and one of the few remaining all court players on tour but as Murat pointed out it's because of time off due to injury that he's still on tour at 35 and playing at such a high level.

Because of injuries and naturally as he hasn't won nearly as many matches as Federer, his tennis mileage is way, way smaller than Fed's despite the age difference.

Federer: Career record in singles 918–212
Haas: Career record in singles 525–293

 

[Kieran]

The mileage is the reason why I think we may still get another 2 seasons of quality out Haas. Stylistically, watching him makes a welcome change to generic baseline tennis...

 

[Front242]

The mileage is the reason why I think we may still get another 2 seasons of quality out Haas. Stylistically, watching him makes a welcome change to generic baseline tennis...

Yup. I'm hoping for 2 more seasons from him too. Fingers crossed we'll get it. I hope he cracks the top 10 next year. He got so close this year but maybe next year he'll make it.

 

[kskate2]

I love Tommy, but Kieran is right. He's never had the total package to be a slam winner. He's got the technical game, but mentally he's not there. I just hope we get a few more years out of him playing top 15 tennis.

 

[El Dude]

tenniskiosk, you have to remember that Tommy Haas is the exception, not the rule. I don't know if you meant it as an instigator, but your last comment about Federer is just misguided. Most great players were done as elite players by the time they turned 32. The only real exception of the Open Era is Andre Agassi. But consider this list of 6+ Slam winners who played a significant portion of their careers during the Open Era:

ROGER FEDERER - last #1 ranking at age 31, last Slam win at age 30 (thus far)

ANDRE AGASSI - last #1 ranking at age 33, last Slam win at age 32 (although made it to a Final at age 35)

PETE SAMPRAS - last #1 ranking at age 29, last Slam win at age 31, then retired

BORIS BECKER - last #1 ranking at age 24, last Slam win at age 28

STEFAN EDBERG - last #1 ranking and Slam win at age 26

MATS WILANDER - last #1 ranking and Slam win at age 24

IVAN LENDL - last #1 ranking at age 30, last Slam win at age 29

JOHN McENROE - last #1 ranking at age 26, last Slam win at age 25

BJORN BORG - last #1 ranking and Slam win at age 25, retired shortly after

JIMMY CONNORS - last #1 ranking and Slam win at age 30

JOHN NEWCOMBE - last #1 ranking and Slam win at age 30

ROD LAVER - last #1 ranking and Slam win at age 31

KEN ROSEWALL - last #1 ranking at age 36, last Slam win at age 37

Notice how, as a general rule, the older players maintained a high peak level longer - Rosewall, Laver, Newcombe, and Connors were all #1 and won Slams after their 30th birthdays. Lendl and Sampras were close, but you have to get to Agassi and then Federer to find great players that remained close to peak form after their 30th birthdays.

As you can see, Federer--historically speaking--did not decline early, and in fact later than some other greats.

I think the thing that's surprising about Roger is how quickly he's declined over the last year. As I've said elsewhere, I think its mainly mental and that in 2014 we'll see a bit of a "dead cat bounce." But I think it virtually impossible that he's ever #1 again, and very unlikely (but possible) that he'll win a Slam again.

 

[tenniskiosk]

tenniskiosk, you have to remember that Tommy Haas is the exception, not the rule. I don't know if you meant it as an instigator, but your last comment about Federer is just misguided. Most great players were done as elite players by the time they turned 32. The only real exception of the Open Era is Andre Agassi. But consider this list of 6+ Slam winners who played a significant portion of their careers during the Open Era:

ROGER FEDERER - last #1 ranking at age 31, last Slam win at age 30 (thus far)

ANDRE AGASSI - last #1 ranking at age 33 (oldest ever), last Slam win at age 32 (although made it to a Final at age 35)

PETE SAMPRAS - last #1 ranking at age 29, last Slam win at age 31, then retired

BORIS BECKER - last #1 ranking at age 24, last Slam win at age 28

STEFAN EDBERG - last #1 ranking and Slam win at age 26

MATS WILANDER - last #1 ranking and Slam win at age 24

IVAN LENDL - last #1 ranking at age 30, last Slam win at age 29

JOHN McENROE - last #1 ranking at age 26, last Slam win at age 25

BJORN BORG - last #1 ranking and Slam win at age 25, retired shortly after

JIMMY CONNORS - last #1 ranking and Slam win at age 30

JOHN NEWCOMBE - last #1 ranking and Slam win at age 30

ROD LAVER - last #1 ranking and Slam win at age 31

KEN ROSEWALL - last #1 ranking at age 36, last Slam win at age 37

Notice how, as a general rule, the older players maintained a high peak level longer - Rosewall, Laver, Newcombe, and Connors were all #1 and won Slams after their 30th birthdays. Lendl and Sampras were close, but you have to get to Agassi and then Federer to find great players that remained close to peak form after their 30th birthdays.

As you can see, Federer--historically speaking--did not decline early, and in fact later than some other greats.

I think the thing that's surprising about Roger is how quickly he's declined over the last year. As I've said elsewhere, I think its mainly mental and that in 2014 we'll see a bit of a "dead cat bounce." But I think it virtually impossible that he's ever #1 again, and very unlikely (but possible) that he'll win a Slam again.

yea ive gotta agree that Federer has been able to play a high level of tennis for a long time. and at the same time, his career has not yet seen a setback such as of late. and perhaps what i was trying to say is that if Federer could adopt the 'never say die' attitude of Haas, he would be able to make a come back next year, which im longing so hard for.

 

[tented]

yea ive gotta agree that Federer has been able to play a high level of tennis for a long time. and at the same time, his career has not yet seen a setback such as of late. and perhaps what i was trying to say is that if Federer could adopt the 'never say die' attitude of Haas, he would be able to make a come back next year, which im longing so hard for.

I think we got our best demonstration of this in a long time during the Basel final. That was the hardest I've seen Federer try to win a match in what feels like ages. It gave me hope for his future, because it showed he still genuinely cares. It also piqued my curiosity as to how he'll perform in London (assuming he gets there, which I think he will).

 

[JesuslookslikeBorg]

age is not just a number..

players degenerate and decline as they get older, its a fact.

having breaks earlier in his career for injuries (if recovery is 100%),,or in tommys case leaving the tour cause his parents were in a car crash then it can help with hanging around past 30.

if age was just a number then folk would not lose more, get depressed a bit and then retire..i don't see laver vs trabert happening out there.

 

[Mog]

age is not just a number..

players degenerate and decline as they get older, its a fact.

having breaks earlier in his career for injuries (if recovery is 100%),,or in tommys case leaving the tour cause his parents were in a car crash then it can help with hanging around past 30.

if age was just a number then folk would not lose more, get depressed a bit and then retire..i don't see laver vs trabert happening out there.

Agree " age is not just a number ". It is THE factor in general with most players.
There are always few exceptions to that..

 

[the AntiPusher]

tenniskiosk, you have to remember that Tommy Haas is the exception, not the rule. I don't know if you meant it as an instigator, but your last comment about Federer is just misguided. Most great players were done as elite players by the time they turned 32. The only real exception of the Open Era is Andre Agassi. But consider this list of 6+ Slam winners who played a significant portion of their careers during the Open Era:

ROGER FEDERER - last #1 ranking at age 31, last Slam win at age 30 (thus far)

ANDRE AGASSI - last #1 ranking at age 33 (oldest ever), last Slam win at age 32 (although made it to a Final at age 35)

PETE SAMPRAS - last #1 ranking at age 29, last Slam win at age 31, then retired

BORIS BECKER - last #1 ranking at age 24, last Slam win at age 28

STEFAN EDBERG - last #1 ranking and Slam win at age 26

MATS WILANDER - last #1 ranking and Slam win at age 24

IVAN LENDL - last #1 ranking at age 30, last Slam win at age 29

JOHN McENROE - last #1 ranking at age 26, last Slam win at age 25

BJORN BORG - last #1 ranking and Slam win at age 25, retired shortly after

JIMMY CONNORS - last #1 ranking and Slam win at age 30

JOHN NEWCOMBE - last #1 ranking and Slam win at age 30

ROD LAVER - last #1 ranking and Slam win at age 31

KEN ROSEWALL - last #1 ranking at age 36, last Slam win at age 37

Notice how, as a general rule, the older players maintained a high peak level longer - Rosewall, Laver, Newcombe, and Connors were all #1 and won Slams after their 30th birthdays. Lendl and Sampras were close, but you have to get to Agassi and then Federer to find great players that remained close to peak form after their 30th birthdays.

As you can see, Federer--historically speaking--did not decline early, and in fact later than some other greats.

I think the thing that's surprising about Roger is how quickly he's declined over the last year. As I've said elsewhere, I think its mainly mental and that in 2014 we'll see a bit of a "dead cat bounce." But I think it virtually impossible that he's ever #1 again, and very unlikely (but possible) that he'll win a Slam again.

yea ive gotta agree that Federer has been able to play a high level of tennis for a long time. and at the same time, his career has not yet seen a setback such as of late. and perhaps what i was trying to say is that if Federer could adopt the 'never say die' attitude of Haas, he would be able to make a come back next year, which im longing so hard for.

'never say die' attitude of Haas"

Resepctful I have to disagree. I havent seen this attitude ever with Tommy but he has shown the ability to compete at a very competitive level with some of the all time greats. Here's is the thing with Tommy, He doesnt possess that killer " I want to bury your butt into the dirt" attitude. I was hoping that with this recent Rejuvenated that he would have , I got to provide for my family or treat these matches like Rafa does so often(someone is trying to snatch food off his dinner plate)

 

[DarthFed]

I think Haas would have had a chance in the transitional period of 2000-2003 but injuries and his parent's motorcycle accident derailed his chances. Hopefully he still has a couple good years ahead of him. He has a chance to get to the top 10, even if briefly, if he does well at the start of next season.

 

[tenniskiosk]

I think Haas would have had a chance in the transitional period of 2000-2003 but injuries and his parent's motorcycle accident derailed his chances. Hopefully he still has a couple good years ahead of him. He has a chance to get to the top 10, even if briefly, if he does well at the start of next season.

yeah, we cant rule out veteran Haas just yet hopefully he will have a chance to qualify for london next year.

 

[tierbuttoo]

Here are my thoughts on Tommy Haas's career so far. what are your thoughts?

At the age of 35, Tommy Haas is currently the oldest player being ranked in the top 20 of the ATP rankings. His life on tour has not always been like this. Tommy Haas has an injury-plagued past that has been persistently hindering him from competing with the higher echelons of tennis. It might have been tough for him but tougher he is for he is back stronger than ever.

Tommy Haas began his career in 1996 and was soon identified by many to be the next rising star of tennis as he became the youngest player to ever finish the year 1997 in the top 50. Tommy was indeed a promising talent, rising to world number 2 in May 2002. Just when all seemed perfect for Tommy, the world started to crash down on him as his parents almost met with a fatal accident that ruled him out of tennis for 6 weeks. At the same time, Haas was also suffering from a shoulder injury that he never really recovered from. This injury continued to hamper him through the course of his career, forcing him to undergo several surgeries. It is devastating for Tommy Haas to confront multiple injuries at the prime age of his career, and the thought of this might just have been the impetus for the motivation of his multiple come backs. Perhaps the only remedy for him was to be back on the courts and winning matches.

Can this unfortunate plague of injuries be placed on his fate? Or are these experiences meant to keep Tommy on track for what he has in stall. Whichever it is, Tommy Haas is a fighter that defies the intuitive age of slowing down, and perhaps the saying “Whatever doesn’t kill you makes you stronger” is relevant to what Tommy Haas has been able to do.

Tommy Haas’s career is difficult, yet he has never let up on any possibilities that he might come back stronger than before. This relentless spirit of his is well worth a few grand slam titles, and I have my deepest respect for what Tommy has been able to achieve. Even though Tommy’s accolades may not be able to speak for what he is truly capable of, I believe that any sports critic will resign to the fact that Tommy Haas is indeed a champion in his own right.

When I observe a career such as Tommy Haas’s, it truly baffles me how the setback Roger Federer is going through now is even considered to be a hurdle for him. If Roger is able to adopt the tenacity and will that Tommy Haas has, he will undoubtedly be the ideal tennis champion Federer fans around the world long for.

visit me at
http://tenniskiosk.com/

Good to know that there are people that remembers the hardship that Tommy Haas was went through

 

[britbox]

Yeah, Tommy went through the mill all right. It's great to still see him playing such good tennis at this stage of his career to go some way to making up for it.

Always been a fan but don't think he ever quite had that extra 5% required to push him over the line at a major, regardless of injury.