Tommy Haas: What makes team competitions so special

Indian Wells tournament director Tommy Haas is a man who knows a lot about playing in team competitions. A 22-year ATP Tour career included stints competing for both the German Davis Cup team and the German tennis Bundesliga club Gruen Weiss Mannheim. Although he now lives in Los Angeles, he still competes regularly in the Bundesliga over-30s - for reigning Tennis Channel Bundesliga champions TC Grosshesselohe. So he is perfectly placed to assess what makes a competitive team tick.

This is just a super great event!

Tennis Channel DE caught up with the 46-year-old at the Laver Cup 2024 in Berlin. ‘It's my third time at the Laver Cup. It's just a super, super great event,’ Haas enthused.

Why is he convinced that tournaments like the Laver Cup are needed in the calendar?

“It's different from being on the road with your own team all year, playing week in and week out by yourself, trying to win some matches or some titles,” he explained.

Tommy Haas: Why the pressure is different in team events

Haas speaks from experience. Many tennis pros regularly say that they enjoy playing in events like the Laver Cup, the Davis Cup or the Tennis Channel Bundesliga because of the team spirit and camaraderie. ‘Ultimately, you go out on the court alone in tournaments. You win and you move on. Or you lose.’ Haas feels that team events are different: ‘I play Bundesliga over 30s. Even at the somewhat older age I am now, I don't just play for myself, but I try hard to get that point for my team as well,’ he explains.

The pressure is different too: ‘The team expects me to get that one important point so that we can win at the end of the day. That's a different kind of pressure you feel there.’ What he means: ‘You might want to win more because you rarely experience it. That's why it makes it all the more special.’

Team Europe against Team World – there is also a bit of prestige at stake!

At the Laver Cup 2024, however, Haas was on hand as a spectator. But he did take to the court once to kick off the match between Daniil Medvedev and Frances Tiafoe on Saturday with the coin toss. As in previous years, the competition between Team Europe and Team World featured top-class tennis players. With Alexander Zverev, Carlos Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev, Taylor Fritz, Casper Ruud and Grigor Dimitrov, no fewer than six of the world’s top ten took to the courts in Germany's capital city.

‘I think that it is always something special for the players who have been there and are allowed to play more often. Team Europe against Team World – there is also a bit of prestige at stake,’ Haas said.

“There is also a bit of prize money and a trophy at stake,” he noted. Although it is a relaxed and enjoyable event, the tournament director of Indian Wells is convinced: ’Those who are there naturally also want to win!’

That's why you have more fun out there and try not to let your team down!

But Haas doesn't just see added value on the players' side. He says that the Laver Cup is a special kind of tournament for tennis fans, too, and that the former pro now counts himself among them: ’For us as spectators, it's always something special – we get to see a lot of matches with top players throughout the day. Plus, there's a lot of doubles action. It's a really great event here.’

For example, in 2024 the tournament action in Indian Wells started with an exhibition tournament featuring the likes of Iga Swiatek, Caroline Wozniacki, Paula Badosa, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Frances Tiafoe. In the second week of the tournament, an invitation-only mixed competition followed with tennis stars such as Betthanie Mattek-Sands, Mate Pavic, Caroline Garcia and Edouard Roger-Vasselin.

Haas is convinced: ‘It makes it more special to get points for a team. That's why you have more fun out there and try not to let your team down.’