WIMBLEDON

June 29, 2001

Jennifer Capriati

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah, I agree on certain times that I had lapses of concentration. You know, overall, it was just I think a hard match to play. I've been waiting basically since yesterday. You know, not a lot of practise. I didn't get a lot of it in. Just the rain. Kind of on days like this, you feel very lethargic. That's the way I kind of felt out there. Had a slow start. But, I mean, I turned it up at the end. I was happy the way I finished it.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah. It reminds me that I'm here playing at Wimbledon. These are what the days are like. You have to mentally prepare yourself for these kind of days, just kind of waiting around. You know, it was windy out there. Yeah, I mean, hopefully I'll get tougher and tougher the next rounds. You know, I know from here on in it is going to get tougher, and that will help. I mean, I don't take any opponent lightly. But I know from here on in, I certainly can't do that, you know.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah, I think it's a big key. Mentally it's just draining, mentally and physically. It's hard to maintain a rhythm really with your playing. You know, it was great, the start of the tournament. But it's just the way it is. You've just got to prepare yourself. The weather is just quick. I mean, you just come off, on, off, on. Just like the grass. It's quick.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: No. I think in the end I found a rhythm there. It's just in the beginning everything was kind of off. I wasn't concentrating on my game.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Like I said before, probably the waiting around, feeling a little bit lethargic out there. You know, just the weather. It was windy and cold. You know, it's kind of difficult to concentrate sometimes in those situations.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I mean, I think a lot of it is mental. Most of it is mental. I've gotten a lot better at not losing my concentration as much, not letting the little things aggravate me, just staying positive out there. I think I've done pretty well on improving that part.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Just basically, I mean, it was difficult starting, you know, first coming back after a while because you forget, you know, how long you have to concentrate. There's just so many things going on around. Just if the crowd's noisy, you know, your opponent's taking too much time, you know, just things like that. But I've coped with that, gotten back into the rhythm. Mostly I've just focused on myself instead of those other things. Usually that works.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I mean, I'm more confident now because of those wins. I mean, I just feel really strong about my game, the way I'm playing. Even though I have lapses, I feel like I can get it back if I get my concentration back. You know, it's not really something in my game, technically that's wrong with my game. I mean, I just can't always rely that I can just come back and turn it on and off. You know, you can't be that confident. It's just, you know, getting better and better each match.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Well, I think I've learned how to just deal with those situations, those moments, just being older. I mean, also you do get more nervous and stuff because you think about the situation more when you're older. Also I've learned how to deal with it on my own, what works for me.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I mean, it's tremendous. I've always kind of felt like the people have been behind me, you know, even more so now. It's just I feel like they're my loyal fans. Even when the times were bad, they were still behind me. Now they're behind me, you know, just for all the right reasons, not just because all of a sudden I'm just doing well again. It's almost like they've experienced what I've, you know, gone through, the ups and downs like I have. It's been, you know, a ride together, I guess.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah, for the most part. You know, now what's different is if I don't feel like smiling - which there's going to be days like that also - I'm not going to smile, I'm not going to feel like I have to smile. Basically, you like it or you don't. You know, that's just being me, being myself.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah. I thought it was too hot in the beginning, but I'll take it back (laughter). I want it back.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I'm really excited about it. Maybe that's why I wasn't concentrating on the court. I was just thinking about that, just looking forward to that. You know, it's going to be a great feeling. It's a moment we've waited for all our lives, always kind of talked about it, joked about it when we were little. "You know, one day we'll play mixed together at Wimbledon." Whatever, if we lose, just to go out there and just have fun. Finally have him on the same side as me. For him to be out there on the courts, it makes me feel so good, that I know it's a great moment for him also. It's definitely, you know, maybe once in a lifetime. I don't know how often it's going to happen again. You know, it's really special for him and for me.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah, well, I knew -- I mean, that's just because he hadn't been working out constantly. You know, he doesn't have tournament after tournament where he has to stay in shape. I knew it was not going to last. It was just for a little while, I was just enjoying it there, I guess, seeing him breathe hard next to me.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah. You know, we push each other. You know, he's in good shape. I haven't been in so good shape. You know, he's pushed me. Now it's just the other way around.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: No, basically we've been hitting with each other all the time, even when I went back home, doing all the workouts together. He's like playing my hitting partner.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Well, we never play where it's just all out. Like he never plays all out. I mean, there's no point. It's not good for me. I mean, he serves 120-plus. I don't want to get injured playing against him.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: It's been tough. Maybe even more -- well, I don't know probably the mental has been tougher. But, you know, I've always been a strong girl, I think. Fitness has always been a part of my game, even just starting out. It's just difficult getting past injuries. I had a lot of injuries just starting out. It's just putting my mind to it that that's the physical is very important also. It's just being disciplined. I wasn't always very into the physical part. I was still lazy, you know, just didn't always want to do the workouts. Now that's changed. Maybe that's just because I'm in shape now, and it just makes it easier.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah. Actually, I'm enjoying the tough workouts, having fun with the workouts, yeah. I mean, I really like it. It just keeps me in shape. I think it keeps my weight down.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: What does it feel like?

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: If it were up to me, I'd swap it. I'd put the talent that's in me, put it in him. He's talented. I mean, it's so difficult for the guys anyways. It's hard. But, I mean, he's got it in other areas, whatever. I mean, he has many options what he wants to do. But, yeah, for him to finally be here, it's always been a dream of his. You know, he wanted to become a tennis player also. I mean, I would give anything to give the opportunity to him, for him to play the singles, you know, be in the spotlight. I don't know how long he would choose to stay in it, if he'd like it or not.