Roger Federer splits with coach Paul Annacone

After almost 3½ years together, Roger Federer has split with coach Paul Annacone according to Federer’s website.

Federer, 32, failed to win a major tournament this year and saw his ranking drop from No. 1 to No. 7.

Annacone had also been the successful coach of American Pete Sampras, coaching Sampras to his final Grand Slam win at the U.S. Open after which Sampras retired.

“After a terrific three and a half years working together, Paul and I have decided to move on to the next chapter in our professional lives,” Federer wrote on his website Saturday.

“When we started together we had a vision of a three-year plan to win another Grand Slam title and get back to the number one ranking. Along with many other goals and great memories, these two main goals were achieved.

“After numerous conversations culminating at the end of our most recent training block, we felt like this was the best time and path for both of us.”

Annacone started working with Federer in August 2010, and the American took the Swiss star to a seventh Wimbledon title in 2012, his most recent major title. Federer’s announcement comes just two days after he lost in the third round at the Shanghai Masters to Frenchman Gael Monfils.

That was his first tournament Federer had played since losing in the fourth round of the U.S. Open.

Earlier this year, Federer saw his record of 36 consecutive Grand Slam quarterfinals ended abruptly in the second round at Wimbledon, where he was beaten by Russian Sergiy Stakhovsky, ranked No. 116 in the world at the time.

Federer has won just one title in 2013 and is in danger of missing out on next month’s eight-man, end-of-season World Tour Finals in London, which he has won a record six times.

But the man who has spent a record total of 302 weeks at world No. 1 insisted in Shanghai that he could turn his career around.

“My mind-set now is, OK, next year is going to be a great year again where I’m not going to have that many points to defend, especially at some very key moments where I consider myself a favorite,” he said.

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