WIMBLEDON

June 28, 2003

Jennifer Capriati

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: The shoulder is nothing serious. Just had a little kink in there, wanted to get it out. I mean, that's what the trainers are there for. Yeah, that had nothing to do with, you know, the way I was playing and the way the scores were going. She's just a good player, tougher than all the other opponents that I've played so far. She had a different kind of game, so kind of threw me off a little bit. I had to get into a rhythm. But I played well when I had to, to close it off.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Not really.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah, yeah, exactly. Yeah, she disguised it well. She had a real short motion and just took the ball early. It was throwing me off a little bit. And I think that court is a little bit faster than the other courts also.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Maybe a little. Just kind of getting out there and everything, it felt a little bit sluggish. The crowd went to go take a break, it was kind of empty. The atmosphere out there was just kind of lethargic a little. So then they started getting into it when they wanted me to win, obviously to get off, so Tim could basically get on (laughter). I think I heard someone say it, anyways, in the crowd, "We want to see Tim."

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Well, a little bit, yeah. But, I mean, it was just getting worse. You know, there's no sense why I should take the chance and lose the match just because I was trying to wait. You know, if it could help me, it was going to help me. I didn't want to let any time go by, because I don't have the time. You know, I needed it. That's when I called it. Actually, I called earlier, and then she didn't come out till then.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I have no idea why it's faster. It just seemed that way to me. Or maybe it was just me. I just felt slower, I don't know, out there (smiling). You know, she was serving well. I was not returning as well as I had in the previous. I was just a little bit late in a couple of shots. It just seemed to be bouncing lower. I don't know why that would be faster; just felt like that to me.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Who's retiring?

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Who is retiring early?

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: She's one out of many, many people.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: You can't play the game over 30, basically. You know, there's a lot of girls that are hungry out there. To get out there sooner seems when the best tennis comes almost. I mean, now there's this age ability rule anyway. It's not like you can play a lot of tournaments anyways.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I think this has been talked about many times. I don't want to discuss it right now.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I mean, really the only place -- well, Australia this year, I mean, I usually don't go into a Grand Slam the way I did anyways that way, just being not prepared like I was. You know, I just got to give my opponents credit, too. I mean, it's not only me, why I'm losing the match. I mean, I'm playing somebody else out there. You know, it's not always my fault for the reason I lost. So I always approach it pretty much the same way. There's really not a lot of difference. I mean, the next round at least, you know, I know my opponent well. I think it's better, like even today, to have a little bit tougher match. Maybe what happens is just the first week is too easy, and then when it comes time to having a really tough match, I'm kind of not match tough and not used to having to hit many balls in the rallies, so I almost lose the sharpness a little bit.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I think it's just a matter of how I've led up to that point and how I'm playing beforehand, and if I'm getting some confidence. You know, I'm trying to work on, also, even in these first few matches, to close it out and not have any lapses of concentration. And when I get ahead, just to be more aggressive. So hopefully that kind of attitude would come out in those tough three-setters again or when it comes down to, you know, those matches where I'm not really quite pulling it out. So I think it's almost like not to think about it either, because the more emphasis I put on it maybe that's going to, you know, get in my head, "Here we go again, I can't close it out again." You know, I think it's just a matter of just keep going forward and keep going for it. I think eventually, you know, the luck has got to go on my side. Hopefully one of these times, it will turn around. I think, you know, it just takes once, maybe, to know that I still have the capability to do it.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I'm not really paying attention. I think it's best to not listen, whether they think I'm a serious contender or not, because it doesn't make a difference.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Actually, I've gotten many e-mails to ask if I was interested in playing Fed Cup, and I haven't made any phone calls.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I mean, to think that she would accept me or she would think about accepting me back if I called her, whatever, to apologize, I had always gotten the first invite, so that's wrong.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I don't want to get into that.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Well, there's many things to consider, first of all. So the time I made myself available, you know, I wasn't needed, I wasn't called for that. Many things to consider if I would make myself available, the timing and all that. I mean, right now I guess I am eligible for the Olympics.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: So maybe it wouldn't, you know, be wise for me to play that Fed Cup. Just kind of the schedule is tough enough. Yeah, I mean, if I want to play, I want to play. It has nothing to do with Billie Jean.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Well, I did make myself available, so I would have played, obviously.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Sure.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Well, I'm not going to get into it now.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Well, I mean, a lot of people say that's when really the tournament starts. But, you know, obviously the matches get a lot tougher in the second week. You know, all the pressure's on. That's really when you got to bring your best stuff. But hopefully, you know, the first week, you know, you're able to get out all the nerves and the kinks of really playing in a Grand Slam. And, you know, sometimes it's not always easy, and you can have really tough matches. I think, you know, either way, just you have to focus on every match. What me, I do, how I'm going to play, and I think it all helps if I make it to the second week.