Throughout his years as a professional tennis player, Roger Federer was known for his unique personality. There have hardly been moments when the Swiss sensation lost control during his matches. However, this has often surprised many, including his fans and coaches about how, amidst the tough situations, the 20-time Grand Slam winner has always managed to keep a cool head.

Reflecting on the same, Federer’s former coach reflected on some of the most terrible years for the Swiss great. He also goes ahead to share his amusement at how Roger Federer managed to have a calm and composed mind.

Federer’s coach recalls ‘terrible’ years for the Swiss player

Giving an insight into Roger Federer, his former coach, Paul Annacone, shed light on a lesson learned from the player. What stands out about Federer, according to his coach, is his skill in not allowing himself to be consumed by matters beyond his control.

Paul Annacone recalls two consecutive years, 2010 and 2011, when Federer faced Novak Djokovic at the US Open and, on both occasions, lost on match points. The emotional toll on spectators, including himself, was quite visible. Yet, despite these heartbreaking losses, Federer remained calm and composed.

“I mean, I sat in his box in 2010 and 11 successive years, where he had match points at the US Open and lost both matches to Novak. And I left the second year, just kind of, I couldn’t like it was hard for me to even I wasn’t I felt terrible for him, but it was hard for me to even comprehend it. And I remember talking to him afterwards, because he was in a great mood and this was a couple of hours later. He was playing with his kids,” said Paul in a podcast.

Even hours later, he was seen playing with his children, displaying the ability to enjoy the present moment. These were some life lessons that his former coach Paul Annacone learnt during his 3 years stint as Federer’s coach.

Annacone highlights the difference between Pete Sampras and Roger Federer

In another interview, Paul Annacone went ahead to highlight the major difference that separates Pete Sampras and Roger Federer. While having coached both players, he is the right person to draw parallels between the two. Talking about Sampras, he said that he was the kind of person who will do anything to achieve his goal.

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On the other hand, Roger Federer’s approach is described as being more process-oriented. While he certainly has clear goals and ambitions, he also places a strong emphasis on enjoying the journey. That, according to Paul was the major thing that separated the two legends of the game.

Who, according to you, made a bigger impact on the sport? Do let us know in the comments below!

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