US OPEN

September 4, 2002

Jennifer Capriati

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I have no idea. I mean, I think she was just taking her time.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I've already answered it.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I mean, she has a different style of game. She mixes things up, she's a good mover around the court. But I think today, I mean, I definitely -- I think I should have come out and won that match. I don't know. Right now I can't comment a lot about what happened in the match. I haven't had enough time to really think about it. It's something that I got to go and look at and really think about and see what happened out there. You know, that's a match that I shouldn't have lost.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I mean, of course it's very disappointing, especially when, you know, I had my chances. But what can you do? I mean, yeah, it hurts. Definitely hurts. I definitely think I should have -- I had that match. You know, just a lot of expectation, a lot of pressure put on myself maybe. You know, it's just something that I got to go and look at.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah, of course I want to. But there's a difference between wanting to and then expecting yourself to and thinking that you should be up there. Of course a lot of other people think I should be up there. You know, so it plays a part. It's something that, you know, I haven't really felt in a while and maybe I've been feeling it more lately.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Well, just, I mean, no one is gonna put expectations on me except myself.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah. Well, it just -- I think, you know, I had the chance to close out the set -- the match there, and I didn't. I don't know, I think even just from the beginning, I wasn't playing with the same kind of loose shots that I was playing, you know, the whole time. I think I came out and I was pretty nervous. I felt kind of tight out there throughout the whole match - even though I won the first set and, you know, still in the second set was serving for it.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I kind of answered that a little bit before. I think you missed it. I don't know, I have no comment about that.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I don't know what you're talking about.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I think I was just -- she was playing great defense, but just like I said, I was just tight, you know, in the whole match. And really, I had confidence in the first and second set, but I still felt that kind of lingering. So any time I kind of really thought about it or let it get in my head, then, you know, that's when I just didn't play aggressively. Sometimes I over -- I played too aggressively, probably. But she was making great shots. You know, I also didn't know what to do in certain moments, too. But, you know, she was just -- it was a tough match.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: That's probably something that just -- it was more mental than anything.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: It's very frustrating because you try to do everything you can to just kind of relax out there. You know, there was a moment where I relaxed when I got ahead. But, you know, just when I was serving for it, I felt like all of a sudden, I just got really nervous and just really tight. Like, again, I said, I think it's probably just a lot of expectation, pressure that I put on myself. You know, it just came through, so...

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I mean, to a certain point. But, I mean, I don't think it should be like, you know, live-or-die and it's like, "You have to win." You know, you just got to look at also, I mean -- you just got to go out there and play your game, play your tennis. I mean, that's what you should expect. But, I mean, sometimes the opponent's gonna play well also, and it's like, even if that happens, you know, I should win. So it's, I don't know... It's just a lot of stuff going on maybe.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: No.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Well, I think you become more aware, for sure, of what's going on and, yeah, you think about things more than when you're at that age. Probably all that stuff was still there, but it's just I didn't -- I wasn't aware of it. So, you know, I think it comes in, but then the wisdom part should also help you overcome it, too.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah, I would say that. She's one of the better ones.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I think she's fast around the court and she just has good footwork. She has a good sense of -- good instinct on how to move around the court and when to come in and, you know, reacts well, anticipates well. She's natural.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I think I handled it all right. I mean, you know, I didn't sit in the baseline and just, you know, play her game. I mean, I don't want to get into that kind of rally, either. Just playing her game. I'm playing my game, which is to be aggressive. For the most part, it worked, you know. Like I said, I'm still like thinking about the -- I haven't had enough time to think about it. I don't know really, you know, what happened. I just, you know, don't think I should have lost the match, so...

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Well, this has kind of been a new pressure that I've felt, I mean, it's just, you know, coming off being No. 1 and having such a great run. So, I mean, human beings are the only ones that go over and over and do the same mistakes over and over. I mean, we never learn, you know... So, yeah. I mean, it's something that -- it still is a different kind of pressure, so that's something that I have to, you know, go back and figure out.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Oh, it's there. I mean, otherwise, I wouldn't be so mad. I wouldn't be so mad that I lost, you know? That's why I care so much. You know, but there's a fine line, there's a balance, you know. I mean, that's not good either, to just want it so bad and, you know, want to win so bad that it just, you know, puts too much pressure on yourself. So you got to find the right balance.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Absolutely.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah. Of course I don't enjoy losing, so...

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I don't think there's one or two points. Maybe just the service game where I was serving for it.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Well, in the past, I mean, they all feel the same to me. Maybe this one, because I just -- I really felt like I had been playing good tennis and really felt I had a great chance to win, you know, just because I was working really hard on my fitness. And it's just like you got to give the opponent credit. But also it's like, you know, you got to go back to the drawing board I guess and see, "Why didn't I win this match?"

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: If she plays her best tennis, I think she has a great chance. But that's something you can't predict, so I don't know. I mean, if she plays, you know, to her potential, I think she'll have a good chance.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Well, I think getting tight is basically saying you choked, so... (Laughter)... Basically...