In a move to try to get back up on the ranks, Roger Federer has hired professional coach, Paul Annacone, as a trial coach, hoping that it would help him recover from his decline in the world ranks.
Annacone is best known as the former coach of the well known tennis player, Pete Sampras. He also coached Tim Henman and Marat Safin at some point, and is currently the head coach of Britain’s Lawn Tennis Association’s mens team.
According to Federer, “I’ve been looking to add someone to my team, and I’ve decided to spend some days with Paul Annacone… As Paul winds down his responsibilities working for the Lawn Tennis Association, we will explore our relationship through this test period. Paul will work alongside my existing team, and I am excited to learn from his experiences.”
As it is, Federer has slipped from his prime spot down to No. 3 based on the ATP rankings. This is the first time since November 2003 that Federer has reached that low level. Federer falls under Rafael Nadal, sitting at No. 1, and Novak Djokovic, at No. 2.
Before Annacone, Federer worked with coaches Tony Roche, Darren Cahill, and Jose Higueras. However, he has also experienced working alone without a coach for a long time.