July 24, 2014 | By Long Island Tennis Magazine Staff
Sloane Stephens has decided to part ways with coach Paul Annacone, she announced in a statement on Wednesday. The two had been paired for eight months, since the beginning of January, but decided a split was in the best interest for both parties.
“Based on the conversations Paul and I had after Wimbledon, we both feel like it would be a good idea for me to have a fresh start leading into the summer hard-court swing,” said Stephens via her management company. “I’ve learned a lot over the past eight months together and now just need to meld them into my long term plan. Paul is one of the top coaches in the world and will remain a close friend and confidant. I can’t thank him enough for his time and continued support.”
Annacone had previously worked with the likes of Roger Federer and Pete Sampras, but Stephens has not seen the progress in her game over the last eight months. After a breakthrough 2013 season, Stephens has slipped in 2014. She has dropped eight spots in rankings since the beginning of the season and has yet to even reach a WTA final this year, while a number of her peers such as Eugenie Bouchard and Madison Keys have experienced improved success.
Stephens will work with an unnamed coach on a trial basis when she takes the court for the Citi Open in Washington, D.C. Annacone had nothing but praise for Stephens, saying in a statement:
“Sloane and I had a lot of good things happen but just couldn’t get the desired consistency. And since we agreed that our situation was causing doubt and confusion in Sloane’s mind, I really wanted her to find clarity leading into the U.S. Open. This is why a change at this juncture made sense. There is absolutely no doubt Sloane is one of the more talented players on the tour and I look forward to watching her have a great deal of success over the course of her career.”
