Call Jennifer Capriati the Prodigal Daughter. She owned fame, fortune and good looks and made it to the Finals of the French Open in 1990 before her 15th birthday. She was Anna Kournikova, but good.
It all took an 180-degree turn thanks to drugs and personal problems that swept her off the tennis map.
But, she roared back last year with a solid 2000 and her Prodigal Son-like return culminated with a kiss of the trophies at the 2001 Australian and French Opens. Talk of a Grand Slam hovered over the green lawns of Wimbledon, but finally stopped last week as Capriati fell to Belgium’s Justine Henin in the semifinals, 6-2, 4-6, 2-6.
“Just because I didn’t win the Grand Slam I’m pretty thrilled with all my achievements,” said Capriati in a conference call to promote next week’s A&P Tennis Classic in Mahwah, N.J. “I think it’s pretty tough to win one Grand Slam. Still the [U.S.] Open is left and if I win three out of the four Grand Slams it’s pretty good.”
Capriati, now the No. 3 player in the world, credits her new-found success to a better fitness program and a more focused mindset, although she has taken some time off since her loss at the All England Club.
“Right now I’m just resting,” said the 25-year-old Capriati. “It’s been a grinding year for me, especially this summer. I’ve been going the whole year without a break. I haven’t hit one ball yet since Wimbledon.”
Capriati also continued her war of words with the Williams sisters, this time of the Venus variety. After being questioned about Venus’ comments that she didn’t train before Wimbledon yet still won, Capriati threw some verbal darts her way.
“Who’s to believe that’s even true?” said Capriati. “I’m sorry, but nobody can just go and not train and win titles like that. She didn’t have good results in the French and I’m sure she wasn’t training, so she really can’t say that. But she can say whatever she wants. But good for her.”