Paul Annacone elected to Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2024

Get working on a speech, Paul Annacone!

Started in 1966, the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame salutes athletes, coaches, teams, writers and administrators for their impact on the history of Tennessee sports. On Wednesday, Annacone was announced as one of the Class of 2024 inductees for his accomplishments and contributions to tennis.

A three-time All-American at the University of Tennessee, Annacone later achieved a career-high ranking of No. 12 on the ATP Tour in winning three singles trophies along the way. He became a Grand Slam champion when he captured the 1985 Australian Open doubles title alongside Christo van Rensburg, but Annacone is perhaps most fondly recognized for what he’s achieved in his next tennis chapter.

As a coach, he was at the helm for nine of the 14 Grand Slam trophies Pete Sampras lifted before later guiding Roger Federer to the 2012 Wimbledon crown. He’s since helped Taylor Fritz become the top-ranked American man while balancing his role as an analyst for Tennis Channel.

His colleagues in Santa Monica, Calif. couldn’t be more thrilled to see one of their own acknowledged with the honor.

“He’s just a winner at every level,” said Tracy Austin. “Every time we listen to Paul, we learn.”

Commented Brett Haber, “He’s so self-effacing about everything he accomplished, both as a player and a coach. Don’t kid yourself, Paul is the wizard behind the curtain. He’s one of the true brilliant minds in our sport.”

Annacone and the rest of the 2024 selections will be enshrined on July 20 in Nashville.