Player Coaches

Born in New York, Annacone was a professional tennis player before becoming a well respected coach in the game and working with a number of leader players. In 1995 he began coaching all-time legend Pete Sampras in a relationship which continued until 2001, and again in July 2002 on a part-time basis. During that time he helped Sampras dominate the game, winning a number of Grand Slams and stabilising himself as world number one. It was with Sampras that Annacone built his reputation and he was responsible for helping Sampras win five of his seven Wimbledon's. After parting ways with Sampras he began working for the United States Tennis Association as a Managing Director on their High Performance Programme. His main duties were to aid the development and ensure the progression of juniors making the transition to the professional Tour. At the beginning of Autumn in 2004, Henman recruited Annacone on a part-time basis after parting ways with another American coach Larry Stefanki. During their time together he helped bring Tim's game to new heights as well as improving his mental approach. During the relationship Henman went on to reach the semi-finals at Roland Garros and the US Open for the first time. In November 2006, Annacone was appointed as the head coach for the LTA as part of a new drive to raise the standards of British players. The American signed a new deal in 2007 to continue the role for a further three years.