Coach Paul Annacone reveals Pete Sampras preferred to be around his team, while “extrovert” Roger Federer “was more expansive.” Annacone, one of the most respected coaches in the game, famously coached Sampras between 1995 and 2001.
In 2002, Annacone rejoined Sampras’ team and guided the American to a victory at the 2002 US Open – after which the tennis icon ended his pro career. Between 2010 and 2013, Annacone was a member of Federer’s coaching staff.
“Pete was much more insular and insulated. Roger’s an extrovert, he’s out there in the world. Pete would be with his strength and conditioning guy, whoever it was at the time. And then I would do the tennis stuff.
And then you’d have his physio, and then you’d have his light (training). Pete was more mono-focused and Roger was more expansive,” Annacone said on a podcast hosted by tennis.com.
Sampras: Federer is more social, I was a lone wolf
After Sampras retired with 14 Grand Slams – which at the time was the all-time Grand Slam record – some thought there would never again be a player with that many Grand Slam wins.
But then the Big Three came on the scene – Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. Sampras, who got a chance to get to know Federer a bit, acknowledged the Swiss was more outgoing than he was during his playing days. “You look at Roger, Rafa and Novak today and they are much more social and outgoing than me, and maybe it’s through social media and where we are in society.
Maybe, if I were playing now, I would be more like these guys. It’s just a different mindset. In my generation everyone was a little more separated, but now Roger has Rafa’s phone number and everyone texts each other and has Instagram.
Knowing Roger a little bit, I guess he can be the soul of the party in the locker room. I was more in the corner, away from everyone, and I loved the last weekend of Wimbledon, when nobody was in the dressing room. I am a lone wolf.
I get energy by being alone. I like to be alone. That’s how I’m connected and how it’s always been,” Sampras once explained.
