Annacone sees an opening for non-elites
Ex-player, coach says up-and-comers have more chances to win major tournaments
Dale Robertson
Paul Annacone spent a decade as a touring ATP professional and coached Roger Federer and Pete Sampras during some of the best years of their splendid careers, so he has seen and done far more than most.
But Annacone is not a jaded, been-there-done-that kind of guy. He thinks tennis in the here and now may be the most compelling, rife-with-possibilities era he has yet witnessed. Why? “Because,” he said, “there are so many moving parts in the game today that make for really great storylines.”
Case in point: John Isner, the top seed in the Fayez Sarofim & Co. U. S. Men’s Clay Court Championship, which returns to River Oaks Country Club this week for an 11th year. The 6-10 Isner has arrived in Houston as the big dog in the draw before but never as a reigning Masters 1000 tournament champion — he improbably won the Miami Open last Sunday — or ranked as high as his current No. 9 in the ATP World Tour rankings.
Annacone is in town in the dual role of Tennis Channel commentator and coach for 20year old Taylor Fritz, a promising up-and-comer at the opposite end of his career spectrum from Isner.
He suggests the towering 32year-old American’s triumph on April 1 is “an affirmation” that it’s game on for an unprecedentedly wide range of players to taste big-time success. Top stars slipping
Having started the season a personal-best 17-0 and claimed his record 20th major title in the Australian Open, Federer may still be Federer even at 36 (although the Swiss guy who lost straight away in Miami to Thanasi Kokkinakis seemed an imposter). But Federer’s fellow elites are flinging doors open right and left for the Isner-Fritz crowd.
Andy Murray is recovering from hip surgery. Novak Djokovic also has been buffeted by health and, rumor has it, personal issues. Rafael Nadal, who clings to No. 1 in the rankings entering the clay-court season, is increasingly hindered by his creaky knees. Isner didn’t have to cross paths with any of them in South Florida. Murray and Nadal stayed home. Like Federer, Djokovic shockingly stumbled in his first match, too, losing to Benoit Paire.
“The four great guys at the top — you can throw Stan Wawrinka in there, too — have been so dominant in the majors and the Masters (tournaments) for so long,” Anncone said. “If you have a couple of them who aren’t there, it creates opportunity. And now guys are starting to see that Father Time is wrestling with Roger and Rafa a bit. So the players in the next tier are telling themselves, ‘Hey, we can get there. Now we don’t have to beat Roger, Novak and Roger in the same tournament.’ ”
From 2004-17, Federer, Nadal, Djokovic, Murray collected 45 of the 52 Grand Slams among them (Wawrinka won three of the others). That, Annacone said, “is pretty daunting, and it’s the cumulative effect that’s the toughest. Yeah, you can get hot and beat Roger one day. But then you come back and have to play Novak in the semis and Rafa in the finals. (Defeating the three of them in succession) won’t happen very often. Now, when it’s only one of those guys, no matter which one it might be, the other players know they can do it.
“With all the guys at the top a little vulnerable, it’s an exciting time for the veterans like John and like Sam (Querrey, the second seed in Houston), who have been so close. And it’s exciting for the younger guys that are coming up from behind who are seeing possibilities. Then, to throw a carrot on top of that, it’s also going to be exciting to see how Andy recovers and to see if Novak get himself back on track. What’s Rafa going to do about his knees? How is Roger going to manage his schedule?” Passion vs. pressure
Note that Annacone also will be selling his new book, “Coaching for Life” while on the River Oaks grounds this week. He was inspired to write it, he said, by what he learned from his years spent traveling with Federer and Sampras, men with similar tennis skills but diverse temperaments.
He believes the qualities that made them great on the court — they have 34 major titles between them — neatly translate into real life problem-solving and decision-making for the rest of us, young Fritz included.
The condensed version is that it’s about maintaining passion and perspective while finding a way to manage pressure. Annacone believes Federer was, and remains, the consummate master on all counts. Sampras faded late because “you could see his flame going out,” although he did dramatically claim a final U.S. Open before retiring.
“Nothing surprises me with what Roger is capable of,” Annacone said. “We talk a lot about his body (holding up), but I really think that it’s his peace of mind, his ability to decompress the pressure and expectations and how he handles his brand, that’s his biggest weapon. I traveled with him for four years. It’s unbelievable what he’s asked to do. It’s exhausting.
“But he’s great about finding ways to not let his energy get drained. He’s also pragmatic about wins and losses. The overriding thing is that he just loves to play tennis. It’s what allows his skills to still shine at the biggest moments.”
Most of them anyway.