Paul Annacone
The strategic mind behind two of tennis's greatest serves, shaping the careers of Pete Sampras and Roger Federer.
Born 1963 (age 63)·American tennis player and coach·Birthday: March 20·Baby Boomers
Biography
Paul Annacone reached a career-high singles ranking of No. 12 in the world and won a handful of ATP titles with a serve-and-volley game. After retiring, his sharp tactical mind and calm demeanor drew elite players. In the mid-1990s, he began coaching Pete Sampras, refining the game of the already-dominant American and guiding him through several record-setting Grand Slam victories. In 2010, Annacone joined Roger Federer’s team. He provided a fresh tactical perspective that helped Federer adapt his all-court style to a new generation of rivals. That collaboration produced another Wimbledon title in 2012. Annacone’s success with two distinctly different champions underscores his ability to communicate strategy and instill confidence at the highest level of tennis.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Paul was born in 1963, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Paul Was Born
The biggest hits of 1963
#1 Movie
Cleopatra
Best Picture
Tom Jones
#1 TV Show
Beverly Hillbillies
Paul's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1963Born
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1968Started school
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1976Became a teenager
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1979Could drive
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1981Could vote
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1984Turned 21
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1993Turned 30
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
2003Turned 40
US invades Iraq; Human Genome Project completed
Gas: $1.59/galHome: $146,000Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"In Da Club" — 50 CentBest Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2013Turned 50
Edward Snowden reveals NSA surveillance programs
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $152,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Thrift Shop" — Macklemore & Ryan LewisBest Picture: 12 Years a Slave
2023Turned 60
ChatGPT goes mainstream; Israel-Hamas war begins
Gas: $3.52/galHome: $361,600Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Flowers" — Miley CyrusBest Picture: Oppenheimer
2026Age 63 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Coached Pete Sampras during a period where he won multiple Grand Slam titles, including his record-breaking 14th major.
- Served as a primary coach for Roger Federer from 2010 to 2013, a period that included a Wimbledon championship in 2012.
- Won 3 ATP singles titles as a professional player, including the 1985 Queen's Club Championship.
- Later coached top American players Sloane Stephens and Taylor Fritz on the professional tour.
- Authored the instructional book "Tennis Worth Watching: A Coach's Insights into the Game."
Did You Know?
He reached the semifinals of Wimbledon in 1984 as a player, losing to John McEnroe.
Annacone and his doubles partner Christo van Rensburg won the 1985 Australian Open men's doubles title.
He is a frequent commentator and analyst for the Tennis Channel.
He played college tennis at the University of Tennessee.
“The goal is to get the best out of what you have, not to be something you're not.”
