Stephens Hires Annacone As Coach

Written by: Bob Larson Tennis on 21st November 2013

Stephens Hires Annacone As Coach

epa03844088 Sloane Stephens of the US reacts after defeating Jamie Hampton of the US during their match on the fifth day of the 2013 US Open Tennis Championship at the USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, New York, USA, 30 August 2013. The US Open runs through Monday 09 September, a 15-day schedule for the first time. EPA/ANDREW GOMBERT |

Sloane Stephens had her best season ever working under USTA Player Development coach David Nainkin, finishing the year at No. 12 and reaching the second week of every Grand Slam event.

Nainkin was there for her at the year’s opening event in Brisbane when he convinced her after she played Serena Williams tough in a loss that she could upset her the next time that they faced off, which she did at the Australian Open. Then he had her back after her loss to Victoria Azarenka in the semifinals, criticizing the then world No. 1 for engaging in gamesmanship for taking a medical timeout.

He stood by her after she was heavily criticized for launching a public attack on Williams in the early spring and even though she admitted to be emotionally devastated after that, he made sure she was an impact player at Roland Garros, Wimbledon and the US Open.

But Stephens had shared Nainkin with her friend and fellow American Sam Querrey and did not want to ask the USTA to assign Querrey another coach. Her camp claims that was the reason why she decided to hire Paul Annacone, the former coach of Roger Federer and Pete Sampras, on a trial basis.

Annacone recently split with Federer and said at the time he had not decided what he would do in the future, and wasn’t sure whether he wanted to travel as heavily as he had been, but he and Stephens both live in Los Angeles and they have already been working a few hours a day together.

Annacone once headed up the USTA and LTA’s Player Development departments and has worked with some women players in those roles but never as a full-time, one-on-one coach.

While Stephens is the youngest ranked player in the top 30, she did not have a very strong fall, missing the cut for the WTA Championships.

She is still smarting from the reaction to her comments about Williams in the early spring and declined to do any media appearances at the WTA Championships in Istanbul– the only player not to do so.

Her management team at Lagardère will try and get her to open up more in 2014.

She and Annacone will work together until she leaves for the Hopman Cup in late December. He could join her for the Australian Open or even before then at the Sydney tournament.

She also just hired Mardy Fish’s personal fitness trainer, Christian LoCascio.

Topics: 10sballs.com, Australian Open, Christian LoCascio, David Nainkin, Grand Slam, Lta, Mardy Fish, Paul Annacone, Pete Sampras, Roger Federer, Roland Garros, Sam Querrey, Serena Williams, Sloane Stephens, Tennis, Tennis News, US Open, Usta, Victoria Azarenka, Wimbledon, Wta