Tennis Graveyard: Tommy Haas - Former No.2 whose career was repeatedly interrupted by serious injuries

Tommy Haas was once a top German player threatening to challenge for all the major accolades and become a mainstay among the best competitors in the world. His talent was undeniable, but his stop-start career blighted any chance of this reality.

A four-time Grand Slam semi-finalist, Haas also won an Olympic silver medal and has success on the Masters 1000 circuit. He collected a grand total of 15 ATP titles from 28 finals between 1997 and 2014. He began his career in his teens and finished it just on the right side of 40.

Over two decades he fought and battled, wishing for a body that would stay in tact. This aspiration would not be realised, making for what would ultimately be years of ups and downs, ending with a resume which would have been a lot more decorated if his availability was more consistent.

Haas first made his breakthrough on the ATP Tour in 1997 on home soil, reaching the semi-finals of the Hamburg Open, formerly a Masters 1000 event. That same year he also reached an ATP final in Lyon, breaking into the top 50.

His potential continued to be showcased, defeating Andre Agassi at Wimbledon in 1998 before his first deep Grand Slam run emerged in the 1999 Australian Open. That year also finally saw him triumph on the big stage, sealing a first piece of silverware in Memphis against Jim Courier, another big name defeated.

An Olympic silver medal was one of his crowning moments, defeating a young Roger Federer in the process before losing to Yevgeny Kafelnikov in the gold medal match. The first season where he truly threatened to break into the elite came in 2001. While his form at major level left space for improvement, he won four ATP titles. The biggest coming at the Stuttgart Masters, the biggest accolade he would win in his professional career. A daunting thought despite his potential in the sport.

His progress would not stop, finding himself in the semi-finals of the Australian Open for the second time in his career, but after leading 2-1, things did not go his way, and Marat Safin dropped just two games for the rest of the match. Agassi pipped him at the Rome Open, which culminated in another landmark being reached. On the 13th May 2002, Haas reached a career high of second in the world. The No.1 spot was in sight, but it would never be seized.

From those prosperous heights at the top of the rankings, Haas would not even be ranked in 2003. This tremendous and disastrous fall from grace came through injuries. Two major surgeries prevented him from competing in that season. The tennis roadshow continued without him, with a lot of catching up to do.

This would be a theme of his career. The reactions when re-entering the fray were commendable and grabbed the attention of many. After 15 months away from the court, he won titles in Houston and Los Angeles while also reaching the quarter-finals of the US Open. He clambered back into the top 20, culminating 2004 in 17th.

2005 was another difficult year where injuries conjured up another slide. From 2006 to 2007, he collected four ATP titles, all coming in the States, and recorded another major last-eight appearance at Flushing Meadows. His run to the Australian Open semi-finals for the second time in his career showed that he still had the talent to battle for the biggest titles. He fluttered around the top 10 mark, but the biggest question was not about his ability. It was about his health.

2008 brought more devastating news and setbacks. He failed to reach a final thanks to shoulder issues and was outside the top 80 come year's end. Now in his 30s, his peak game was starting to be a thing of the past, with the feeling that he did not live up to those glorified expectations. That would be tested at Wimbledon in 2009, defeating Marin Cilic and the fourth seed, Novak Djokovic, in four sets to compete in a third slam semi-final. He failed to take a set off Federer, who went on to win another title at SW19.

The same old tale occurred in 2010. Coming off another positive season with a foundation to build off from, Haas did not play a single match from mid-February onwards. Right hip and right shoulder surgeries came at a cost, tumbling outside the top 300.

He spent the next year battling to just get back onto the tour. A far cry from the distant peaks that he had once achieved. This was a different Haas. The young, flourishing German had the world at his feet, not knowing what would hit him. Everytime an injury setback came his way, he found a way to combat it. 2012 was another example of his resilience.

There was a reason he was named ATP Comeback Player of the Year. Starting in 205th, he dragged and clawed himself to finish up in 21st. Aged 34, this was a late burst for someone whose supposed best days had long gone. The most notable incident was returning to the Halle Open three years after winning his most recent ATP title. He sealed another one on home soil, incredibly against Federer in straight sets. He also made it to quarter-finals in Canada and Hamburg.

The quarter-final lineup of the 2013 French Open also had Hass' name involved for the first time. He defeated Djokovic en route to the semi-finals of the Miami Open while collecting titles in Munich and Vienna at 250 level. Back as a regular in the top 20 again, it would be the final time he could be a part of this coveted group.

The twilight of his career was again started up by injuries. Another issue with his right shoulder did not stop him from reaching his final ever ATP final in Zagreb, but his appearances on court would become more limited with the seldom-seen Haas rarely being able to feature in 2015, back outside the top 400.

This would not stop him in his tracks. A nine-month layoff in 2016 for toe surgery was just another bump in the road, and in 2017 he became the oldest player since Jimmy Connors in 1995 to win an ATP match at the age of 39. The talent was evident, with another win being conjured up against Federer. He eventually called it quits in March of 2018, having played his last tournament in August 2017.

There is no doubt that Haas was a fabulous tennis player. Comfortable with taking the ball early, his huge forehand was partnered with a synonymous one-handed backhand. He made opponents uncomfortable on court while happy to roam and play whatever style was needed to counter his opponent. This was one of the reasons why his game aged like fine wine. Still in his late 30s, he was defeating the best players in the world and making unexpected runs in big tournaments.

Haas and German tennis will look back on the career with fondness, but it could have been so much better. That 2003 injury was the blueprint for his years in tennis. A major setback, climb his way back up the rankings and get back to competing with the best. However, he never reached those heights of World No.2 in 2002, nor ever made a Grand Slam final or even Masters 1000 final after 2002.

From one perspective, this can be classed as a failed tennis career based off the potential once shown. Would Haas have been a Grand Slam champion and World No.1 if he had not been injured in 2003? Possibly. However, we will never know for sure.

The compelling argument around his tennis career being a success was that he always navigated back among the top players following each injury problem. This deserves huge praise. It was unfortunate that seemingly every few years he was due a drop in the order, dashing any hope of him cementing his name among the elite.

Overall, there is no doubt that Haas would have been good enough to be in a category of great tennis players. Injuries are a part of the sport, and he regularly got inflicted by them. Not niggling issues, but season-ending ones. This places him in a list of players who were good enough to challenge for the major honours but never got the chance to properly or consistently show it.