US OPEN

August 27, 2002

Jennifer Capriati

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I felt good out there, so... Just played like I was on a mission. I was on a mission to hit my shots, to play well, to move well, to move fast. You know, I was in a good rhythm. So I really didn't think about my pace at all, you know.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Than I ever have? I don't know if I ever have. I mean, maybe I've never -- I don't know -- felt as fit as I have now. There could be some other times where, you know, where I felt the same, but it's pretty close, yeah.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah, yeah. Maybe it's because I haven't been like this for a little while, so it really seems like I'm really fit now, you know.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I don't remember Australia the first round.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah (smiling). I mean, I felt good there, but maybe not as well. You know, as physically fit or on my game as I was tonight. But you can't go by those things. Every tournament's different. You just, yeah, I mean, you never know, like, maybe you wouldn't have expected me to go on to win and kind of from my performances early on in Australia. Hopefully, it doesn't work the other way here, where it's good in the beginning then ends up...

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I just worked with a trainer while I was home, really hard, and changed some things in my diet, you know, tried to lose some weight. Not weight, I mean, just try to get leaner and fitter. You know, different training stuff to just try to make me a little bit faster out there.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: No. I'm not out there to feel sorry for anybody. Once you start that, then you never know. It could turn into one game, two games, three games. You just never know. You know, it's got to be a lesson, too. She's got to learn. She's got to experience it out there. I mean, it will make her tougher.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I mean, those are quotes from him or...?

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I really have no comment. I have nothing to say about what he says. I mean, it's just a waste of time. I mean, you can see how ignorant that sounds and how disrespectful that sounds. I mean, he should just, you know, concentrate on his daughters and he's doing a good job. So, you know, I don't need his advice. I mean...

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah. And he gets away with it. It's too bad. It's no class. I've never taken personal remark s -- I've never said anything personal, just about the game itself. But, you know, I could say things about them, but I'm not going to because I'm not going to lower myself to that.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah... That's the whole point, yeah.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah, I mean, I think I like hearing that. It's a good thing to hear it. Maybe I'm not the only one. There's a lot of other players that have come back. I mean, Lindsay's back and she's playing well. It's a lot of pressure to bear, too. My goal is to try to win the tournament and try to play my best and win matches. My goal is not to disrupt a Williams final, you know. That's taking away from the actual game, and it's like, you know, they're owning the game and I'm trying to stop them from owning it. I mean, taking away, there's a lot of other things that make this game besides them.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I'm gradually progressing. I'm not upset because I feel good right now. I played good in Montreal. I think it's coming together for me now. I just really feel good about my game. You know, it's a process. I knew it wasn't gonna, you know, come right away, to get these results. But, you know, I'm aiming for the big one, so...

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah, I mean, I wouldn't say it's, like, intentionally. But, you know, it's a long season, it's a long year. It's hard for me to gear up for every tournament and to play well every tournament. You know, for me to play well, I have to be in great shape. Sometimes I can't -- I mean, I have to work hard. Sometimes I can't always work hard. You know, for me, the way the games are these days, that's the way you have to be, and you have to train. Unless I come 100 percent prepared and ready then, you know, I'm not going to be winning those tournaments. I do my best to try to do that, but it's hard to maintain that level constantly.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah. I mean, I'd be able to really gauge where I am, you know, when I have a tougher opponent or I have a tougher match.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah, I feel good. I feel like I'm moving well. Yeah, my shots, I feel confident so...

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I mean, yeah. I would have to say that's true. It's not as bad as how everyone makes it seem or how it seems. You know, I even said when I was asked out there, Patrick asked me the same question, or whoever asked me. It doesn't happen that often. It happens on the men's side, too. You have easy rounds, also, here. You know, that's gonna happen. I mean, can't have, like, every match to be like a thrilling three-setter, a thrilling five-setter. So, you know, maybe this one was easy for me. But, you know, the next one could be a lot tougher. You just never know.