WIMBLEDON

June 28, 2002

Jennifer Capriati

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I knew she was a good player. I knew she'd be a difficult opponent so I was really, I think, just ready for anything today. And she played exactly like I thought she'd play except I didn't think she'd serve and volley as much as she did. But I knew it was going to be a tough opponent.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah. Well, that just kind of happens sometimes. You know, she played a couple good points, maybe I lost my concentration just a little bit. And, you know, maybe the wind picked up a little bit at that time and just different things. And I kind of was ahead and maybe I kind of thought things maybe were just going to keep going on a roll. And so I just kind of backed off a little bit and, you know, realized that I can't do that because she's just a consistent player. So I think I got it back right away.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah. I think I'm playing pretty well on the grass, and I'm returning, serving well. I think I'm coming to net at the right times - most of the right times I think. And, you know, the more I play, I think the more I get better on the grass. It's so tough to really just see where you're at and see what, you know, rhythm . It's such a different style of play than what you're used to. So it's so hard to really evaluate your game.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Well, maybe it picks up a little bit I think. And the only -- I guess the toughest thing is the movement, especially at the baseline, it's pretty much dirt there and there's no grass left. So it's just you have to be careful moving, and you really -- I mean, I don't feel as comfortable or as graceful moving back there when it's so chopped up, so...

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I mean, it's something that's always been a part of me. And especially the last few years of my life, I've really had to fight on and off the court. So I just, I don't know, on the tennis court I look at it as a battle I know maybe I'm in control of and where I have the best chance and I can really, you know, dictate what I do out there and what I feel. So, the rest, I think it's just something you just have or you don't have. I mean, I'm certainly not the only one. I mean, there's a lot of great fighters out there, so...

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I think both. I mean, they were just related in a lot of ways. I mean, what was going on off court was, you know, showing on the court. Even when I was just trying to come back, I didn't feel the most confident and definitely had a lot of fear, you know, I just wasn't comfortable and confident on the court, so then that would make me struggle off the court because, you know, obviously I wanted to do well. And the thing I had grown up doing and felt like I was born to play, I felt like I couldn't play anymore. So that was definitely a hard struggle for me and I think I overcame that. I definitely overcame that.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah. I mean, I wasn't going to let whatever it was that was kind of bringing me down, I wasn't going to let it defeat me. And, you know, I was going to be the one to come out on top and I knew that, that I just wasn't going to let that happen.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I'm not going to really comment on that anymore. I mean, I think they definitely deserved -- deserve being where they are now. I mean, they're great players. But, you know, what I said about the No. 1, the No. 2 and all the players not being in it, I mean, even for myself, I'd rather be No. 1 when everyone's in the group just so I really can show to myself and show to everybody. And, I mean, I have no idea, you know. It's just on what they do, if they plan their matches. I mean, I'm not going to comment on it anymore. I mean, I don't think that's really what I said anyways.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I mean, I don't know. Maybe it's like a sibling rivalry there. I mean, I couldn't imagine playing against my own brother, you know, or sister, if it was my brother in that case. You know, the nerves, and I don't know how mentally you can just go out there and play against your blood, you know. And so it just seems like they're not playing their best tennis at the same time. And maybe that's nerves or I really don't know. But it just -- the way they play in other matches, they don't really play that way against each other. That's what it seems like.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah, I have no idea. I have no comment.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I don't think I can remember a time where I thought I was not going to be a professional tennis player.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah, three. Yeah.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah, seems like a little bit intensity. I mean, I didn't see the French Open final, so I don't know. I didn't see that match. But it's just, you know, maybe the other Grand Slam final, the US Open, the only other one I saw was the Nasdaq this year, it just seems, you know, either the intensity or just one is on and one is off, you know. So...

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Oh, I mean, no. I think they're -- I mean, there's been a lot of good players. Even though we're missing some, the rest are in there. And so I think they definitely have played unbelievable tennis to get to this point and they definitely deserve where they're at. I mean, it's so close, we're all so close anyways. So it's just going back and forth. I mean, with Steffi, I have no idea. We can all say that, go back, and how would it have been if it was this way or that way and it's not. So what's the point of even talking about it?

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I think they've achieved 1 and 2 because of the players that they are; I don't think it's what the father said. The father could have been wrong, could have been right. It's definitely -- he's not the Nostradamus of tennis who can just predict everything. I mean, they're good players and that's it. I mean, you know...

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Of course.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I mean, basically I've just moved on from it, and I'm not even thinking about it, and I don't see any point to think about it anymore.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: No, not at all.