Haas: Olympic silver my greatest treasure
It's 16 years since Tommy Haas won a silver medal at the Olympics and, while much has changed in the life of the recently-announced Indian Wells Tournament Director since then, his memories of Sydney 2000 are as powerful as ever.
Still active on the professional tour despite going under the knife for a toe injury in April - the latest in a catalogue of surgeries that have disrupted the latter stages of his career - Haas remembers the moment he was handed a silver medal in Australia as one of the finest of his career.
"[It was] very, very special, no question about it," said the 38-year-old German. "To be honest, growing up it was never really such a goal of mine to become a medal winner in the Olympics. But when I had the opportunity to go and be part of it, kind of sense what it's like to be part of this whole Olympics thing and be amongst such other great athletes, it was a very special feeling."
Haas defeated the likes of Wayne Ferreira, Alex Corretja, Max Mirnyi and Roger Federer, all of whom have now won Olympic medals of their own, before falling to Yevgeny Kafelnikov in five sets in the final.
"I felt like I really won something special after that match," Haas reflected. "I got pretty close in the gold medal match against Kafelnikov. It was a very special match and something very special and memorable. It's something I treasure the most right now in my career.
"It wasn't just his own success that made Haas' time at Sydney 2000 unforgettable, but the fact that he was also able to revel in the success of others across a range of different sports.
"I remember seeing the 100-metre sprint, Marion Jones, Maurice Greene, and Cathy Freeman," Haas said. "I remember being in that big, big stadium. I think it seated, if I'm not mistaken, 110,000 people. It was packed. It was such a special feeling. I recorded it all with my camera at the time and I still have those precious moments.
"Actually having a medal of my own and taking it back home," he continued. "Looking back at it now, it truly was one of my greatest experiences in my life and one of the things I'm most proud of being a part of."
A man who has had more than his fair share of injuries and surgeries - right ankle, left ankle, hip and toe to name but a few through his career - Haas knows a thing or two about suffering for his art. Even so, the German says that the Olympics gave him a greater appreciation of the sacrifices made by other athletes.
"I really just respect so much more the other athletes now," Haas admitted. "The 100-metre sprinters, 200-metre sprinters, pole vaulting, 100-metre hurdles, whatever. Those that train themselves for that one moment in time, that one final where they run for the medal. The pressure they must feel trying to be fit for that exact day, the routine, the moment.
"Us tennis players [in comparison], we're so spoiled in a way."
This story features quotes taken from the ITF's new Olympic Book, set to be published in Summer 2016. This coffee-table publication features 118 Olympic and Paralympic tennis medallists reflecting on what their medal means to them, told through exclusive interviews and specially-commissioned photography.