Pete Sampras will watch this year's Wimbledon on television

Annacone has not ruled out a comeback for the 14-times Grand Slam winner.

Thirty-one-year-old Sampras has won Wimbledon seven times and many regard his decision not to play this year as evidence of his intention to retire.

But Sampras' coach is not so sure.

"Once he goes through watching Wimbledon on TV he'll see how it feels not to be there," Annacone said.

His mindset right now is that he's not ready to commit, but he's also not ready to retire Paul Annacone Feature: Sampras' legacy secure

"It will be a pretty good indication of whether he's rejuvenated to go for the US Open or just call it a day.

"I don't know how not being at Wimbledon will affect him.

"I also know that everyone in life needs challenges to motivate them - superstar athletes need it even more.

"His mindset right now is that he's not ready to commit, but he's also not ready to retire."

Pete Sampras' last competitive match came in September 2002 when he beat old foe Andre Agassi to win his fifth US Open title.

Annacone said Sampras trained hard at the beginning of the year and was physically ready to return to action in San Jose in February.

But according to the coach "the desire wasn't there" and Sampras subsequently pulled out of tournaments in Indian Wells and Miami.

He doesn't want to be like the retired boxers who come back 17 times Paul Annacone

"With all due respect to those tournaments, he wasn't motivated enough to play them," said Annacone. "From March to now, he has been a little sporadic about his tennis.

"Wimbledon was a good barometer to see if he was ready to go. Clearly, if that doesn't lure him to play, it was time for him to re-evaluate where he is.

"When we started preparing to get ready for Wimbledon it sounded great romantically.

"But realistically he didn't feel he could do what it takes every day in practice and didn't want to go in ill-prepared."

If Sampras does decide to end his career, Annacone says there will be no going back.

"He wants to be finite about it - he doesn't want to be like the retired boxers who come back 17 times."