Paris – Former world number two Tommy Haas is enthusiastic about Spanish tennis prodigy Carlos Alcaraz.
“There is no weakness with Alcaraz. He moves incredibly well for his size and is insanely fast. And he just has a high tennis IQ,” Haas said at the French Open in Paris. There, the quarter-final clash between Alcaraz and Olympic champion Alexander Zverev will take place this Tuesday.
Despite his enthusiasm for the 19-year-old Spaniard, Haas, a quarter-finalist at the Stade Roland Garros in 2013, sees chances for Zverev. “It will be a tough task, for sure. I would like him to go all in from the start, to believe that he can win,” Haas said. “Then everything is possible.”
Overall, the 44-year-old sees Zverev’s development this year as positive. “On the whole, I like him very much again. He has been playing good tennis again since Monte Carlo and I have also liked him here so far,” Haas said. “It won’t be easier to win the first Grand Slam title. But he still has some time,” said Haas, referring to Zverev’s big goal of winning a title at one of the four major tournaments.