Fabio Fognini talked about his career and his coach change in a recent interview to the Italian Sports newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport. He has recently split with Spanish coach José Perlas and will announce his new coach very soon. The former world number 13 player has ruled out that his wife Flavia Pennetta will become his new coach.
“I have already chosen, but I will define the details in a few days. I can guarantee he will be a top class coach, as had been José Perlas, because I want to get back in the game for the most important goals. Flavia Pennetta will not my new coach. Let Flavia do the role of wife, in which she is fine. She supports me and is always by my side in every decision. She calms me and feels well at home”, said Fognini.
José Perlas’s only regret is that Fognini was not able to consolidate his career-high of world number 13. Fognini admitted that he felt scared whan he came close to the top-ten.
“José is right but I was afraid. I arrived at the number 13, just 600 points behind the tenth place. I began to hear that I could reach the top ten, even the top five and the last step scared me”.
Fognini belongs to the same generation as Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic. He was born in 1987, in the same golden year as the top-two players and played against them at junior level.
“They are tow players with different characteristics, but it was clear they would become great players, because they had extrahordinary physical, technical and mental skills. Murray has had a phenomenal second half of the season. He deserved to be at the top of the ranking”, said Fognini.
Fognini also talked about the current level of Italian men’s tennis, which has only three top-100 players, who are over 30. Paolo Lorenzi has become the top Italian this year at the age of 35 ahead of Fognini (30) and Seppi (33).
“It is a sign of weakness, but also the result of the errors committed in the past. In Italy there are few truly prepared coaches. You have cut deep. Then we always mature later. Congratulations to Lorenzi, but there is one thing that no one can take away, early development. I remain the craziest of all”, concluded Fognini.
