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{{short description|American former tennis player (born 1976)}} | |||
] | |||
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2022}} | |||
{{Infobox tennis biography | |||
| name = Jennifer Capriati | |||
| image = Jennifer Capriati Wimbledon 2004.jpg | |||
| caption = Capriati at the 2004 Wimbledon Championships | |||
| full_name = Jennifer Maria Capriati | |||
| country = {{USA}} | |||
| residence = ], U.S. | |||
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|mf=yes|1976|03|29}} | |||
| birth_place = New York City, U.S. | |||
| height = {{height|ft=5|in=7}}<ref name=profile>{{cite news |title=Jennifer Capriati |work=wtatennis.com |access-date=September 7, 2015 |url=http://www.wtatennis.com/players/player/1325}}</ref> | |||
| turnedpro = March 1990 | |||
| retired = 2004 | |||
| plays = Right-handed (two-handed backhand) | |||
| careerprizemoney = US$ 10,206,639 | |||
| tennishofyear = 2012 | |||
| tennishofid = jennifer-capriati | |||
| singlesrecord = 430–176 | |||
| singlestitles = 14 | |||
| highestsinglesranking = ] (October 15, 2001) | |||
| AustralianOpenresult = '''W''' (], ]) | |||
| FrenchOpenresult = '''W''' (]) | |||
| Wimbledonresult = SF (], ]) | |||
| USOpenresult = SF (], ], ], ]) | |||
| Othertournaments = yes | |||
| WTAChampionshipsresult = SF (], ]) | |||
| Olympicsresult = '''W''' (]) | |||
| doublesrecord = 66–50 | |||
| doublestitles = 1 | |||
| highestdoublesranking = No. 28 (March 2, 1992) | |||
| AustralianOpenDoublesresult = 3R (]) | |||
| FrenchOpenDoublesresult = 3R (], ]) | |||
| WimbledonDoublesresult = 3R (], ]) | |||
| USOpenDoublesresult = QF (]) | |||
| medals-expand = | |||
| medals = | |||
{{MedalSport | Women's ] }} | |||
{{MedalCountry | the {{USA}} }} | |||
{{MedalCompetition | ] }} | |||
{{MedalGold | ] | ] }} | |||
}} | |||
'''Jennifer Maria Capriati'''<ref>{{cite web |title=Jennifer Capriati |url=https://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/760155/Jennifer-Capriati |publisher=britannica.com |access-date=May 17, 2013}}</ref> (born March 29, 1976) is an American former ] ] player. A member of the ], she won three singles ] titles and was the gold medalist at the ].<ref name=greatestone>{{cite news |title=100 Greatest of All Time |work=Yahoo |access-date=September 7, 2015 |url=https://sports.yahoo.com/video/100-greatest-time-040000842.html}}</ref><ref name=greatesttwo>{{cite news |title=Capriati into Hall of Fame |work=skysports.com |date=April 12, 2014 |access-date=September 7, 2015 |url=http://www.skysports.com/tennis/news/12110/7672190/Capriati-into-Hall-of-Fame}}</ref> | |||
'''Jennifer Marie Capriati''' (born ], ]) is an ] professional ] player, currently living in ], ]. | |||
Capriati set a number of youngest-ever records at the start of her career. She made her professional debut in 1990 at the age of 13 years, 11 months, reaching the final of the hard-court tournament in Boca Raton, Florida. She reached the semifinals of the ] in her debut and later became the youngest-ever player to reach the top 10, at age 14 years, 235 days, in October of that year. Following a first-round loss at the 1993 US Open, she took a 14-month break from competitive pro tennis. Her personal struggles during this time (including arrests for shoplifting and possession of marijuana) were well documented by the press. | |||
The 5' 8½" Capriati plays right-handed, with a two-handed backhand. | |||
In 1998, Capriati won her first major-level singles match in five years at Wimbledon. During the next two years, she slowly returned to championship form, winning her first title in six years in Strasbourg in 1999 and regaining a top-20 ranking. At the ], the reinvigorated Capriati became the lowest seed ever to win the championship when she defeated ] in straight sets for her first Grand Slam championship. She also won the French Open that year, claiming the WTA No. 1 ranking in October. After successfully defending her Australian Open title in 2002, she became a top-10 mainstay until injuries derailed her career in 2004. She won 14 professional singles tournaments during her career, along with one women's doubles championship. | |||
Born in ], ], Capriati was taught to play tennis at a very young age by her father, Stephano Capriati, who continues as her coach. As a youth she was coached by Jimmy Evert, father and coach of ]. Turning pro on ], ] at age 13, in her WTA Tour debut at ], she became the youngest-ever player to reach a pro final, aged 13 years, 11 months. She defeated 4 seeded players on the way including world number 10 ]. In her third Tour event, she reached the final of ], upsetting world no. 5 ] and losing to ]. On ], ] she debuted on WTA rankings at no. 25. Later that year, she became the youngest ever semifinalist at ] aged 14 years, 2 months losing to ]. This led her into the WTA top 20. At ] that year, she became the youngest woman ever to be seeded. She was seeded 12th. She won her first title at ], defeating ] in the final and becoming the fourth-youngest player ever to win a title. This led to her entering the WTA top 10 becoming the youngest ever to be ranked in the top 10 of the world at 14 years, 235 days. In the same year, she stretched World No. 1 ] to 3 sets and finished the season ranked no. 8 in the world. | |||
==Career== | |||
In ], she reached her second consecutive Grand Slam semifinal aged 15 years, 95 days becoming the youngest-ever semifinalist at Wimbledon defeating defending champion Martina Navratilova in the quarterfinal, forcing her earliest exit in 14 years. She defeated world No. 1 ] that year as well as defending champion ] at the ]. In ], she reached 3 Grand Slam quarterfinals. She won the singles gold medal at the ], defeating world no. 1 ] in gold medal match. | |||
===1990–1991: The records=== | |||
Capriati won the ] in both the 12- and the 14-year categories, and is one of only nine tennis players to win the Junior Orange Bowl Championship twice in its 70-year history, which list includes ], ], ], and ].<ref name="ynetnews.com">{{cite news |url=http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4607068,00.html |title=14-year-old Israeli wins revered junior tennis tournament |date=December 23, 2014 |newspaper=ynetnews|last1=Aharoni |first1=Oren }}</ref> | |||
Capriati made her professional debut as a 13-year-old, reaching the finals of two of her first three pro events, losing to ] and ] in the Boca Raton and ] tournaments, respectively, earning her first two wins over top-10 players (No. 10 ] and number-five ]). She entered the rankings in April, at No. 23. Capriati made her ] debut at the French Open. She went all the way to the semifinals, losing to eventual champion Monica Seles. She then reached the fourth round at ], losing to ]. Later in the year Capriati won her first career title in Puerto Rico, defeating ]. After this victory Capriati entered the world's top 10. She qualified for the WTA Championships, narrowly losing to Graf in the first round in three sets. She finished her first season as a professional at world No. 8. | |||
After some disappointing losses in ], Capriati took a break from the tour to concentrate on her ] studies, and later ran into personal and legal troubles. Nabbed for ] in December 1993, Capriati was also arrested for ] possession in May 1994. She returned to the tennis tour in November of that year, but played in only one match, which she lost, and again went on sabbatical, this time for fifteen months. She fell out of the top 10 in January ] and did not play on the WTA tour in 1995. | |||
Throughout the season Capriati set multiple "youngest ever" records. She was the youngest player to reach a tour final, the youngest player to reach the semifinals at the French Open, the youngest seed ever at Wimbledon, and the youngest player to qualify for the season-ending championships. She was also the fourth-youngest player to win a ] title. She was named the ] for 1990. | |||
Returning to the tour in 1996, Capriati again had several false starts, finally winning the singles title in ] on September 25, 2000. In 2001 she began an earnest comeback, winning both the ] and the French Open, and she successfully defended her Australian Open title the following year. | |||
In her second season as a touring pro, Capriati established herself as a consistent top-10 player. She won two singles titles during the summer hard court circuit, defeating world No. 1, Monica Seles, in a third set tie-breaker in final of San Diego, and ] in straight sets in the final of Toronto. She also reached two Grand Slam semifinals, at Wimbledon and the ]. At Wimbledon, the 15-year-old Capriati stunned nine-time champion ], defeating her in the quarterfinals in straight sets.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1991/07/04/sports/tennis-navratilova-finds-15-beats-34-at-wimbledon.html |title=TENNIS; Navratilova Finds 15 Beats 34 at Wimbledon |newspaper=The New York Times |date=July 4, 1991 |first=Robin |last=Finn |access-date=September 21, 2014 |url-access=limited}}</ref> Capriati became the youngest person to ever reach the semifinal round of the tournament, losing to Sabatini. At the US Open, Capriati defeated Sabatini in the quarters but lost in the semis to eventual champion Seles in a third-set tiebreak after serving for the match twice. Capriati qualified for the year-end championships for the second time, reaching the quarterfinals. She ended the year at No. 6. | |||
Capriati lost in her first match defending the Australian Open title in 2003. However, she won the singles title in ] on August 18 of that year finishing the year in the WTA top 10 for the sixth time. She won 42 out of 60 matches winning nearly 2 million US dollars in prize money. | |||
Capriati also won the only doubles title of her career at the ], partnering with Seles.<ref name=profile /> | |||
] she has 14 career singles wins, and also one in doubles with ] in the 1991 ]. She has garnered almost $8 million in career prize money, and was ranked #1 in the world for brief periods in 2001 and 2002. | |||
===1992–1993: Continued success, Olympic gold medal=== | |||
In January ], she withdrew from the Australian Open due to a back injury. In August, she was forced to withdraw from the US Olympic tennis team with a ] injury and was replaced by ]. In ], at the ], she failed once again to get past the semifinals of the singles event. | |||
Capriati's 1992 season was highlighted by her victory at the ]. She defeated second-seeded Arantxa Sánchez Vicario in the semifinals and came from a set down to defeat top-seeded Steffi Graf in the gold-medal match. Capriati next defended her title in San Diego, defeating ] in the final, the only time that Capriati won back-to-back singles titles during her career. She reached the quarter-finals at the Australian Open (in her debut), at the French Open, and at Wimbledon, and then she lost in the third round at the US Open. In Miami, Capriati ended Monica Seles's streak of 21 consecutive finals by defeating her in the quarterfinals. Capriati finished the year ranked in the top 10 for the third straight year, at No. 7. She also became the youngest player to surpass $1 million in prize money (Martina Hingis later broke this record).<ref name=profile /> Also in 1992, a Sega Genesis video game titled '']'' was released by Renovation Products.<ref name=vg>{{cite news |title=Jennifer Capriati Tennis |work=gamerankings.com |access-date=September 7, 2015 |url=http://www.gamerankings.com/genesis/586254-jennifer-capriati-tennis/index.html}}</ref> | |||
At her first tournament (Sydney 1993), Capriati defeated third-ranked Sabatini in the semifinals before defeating ] in the final. For the second straight year, she reached the quarterfinals at the first three majors of the year. She reached the final of the ] in Montreal, losing to Steffi Graf. At the US Open, the seventh-seeded Capriati lost her opening match to former top 15-player ], her first loss in the first round of any pro tournament. Following this loss, Capriati decided to take a break from tennis. She finished the year ranked ninth.<ref name=profile /> | |||
===1994–95: Break from tour=== | |||
Capriati only played one match in 1994, losing in the first round of Philadelphia to Anke Huber. She fell off the rankings in June. She did not play at all in 1995.<ref name=profile /> | |||
===1996: Return=== | |||
Capriati, unranked, played her first match in 15 months in Essen, where she reached the quarterfinals, losing to ] in three sets. She reached her first final in more than three years at Chicago, defeating Monica Seles en route, before losing again to Novotná in three sets. Capriati also reached the quarters in the fall at the ], defeating Sabatini in the opening round in what was the last singles match of Sabatini's career. Capriati competed in her first Grand Slam tournaments since 1993 at the French Open and the US Open, losing in the first round of both. Capriati re-appeared on the rankings in April at No. 103, and finished the year inside the top 25, at No. 24.<ref name=profile /> She was named the ] for 1996. | |||
===1997–98: Descent in the rankings=== | |||
In January 1997, Capriati reached the final in Sydney for the second time in her career, defeating world No. 9, ], en route to her only top-10 win of the year, losing to ] in the final. She only reached the quarterfinals at one other tournament, Oklahoma City, where she lost to Davenport. Capriati finished the year at No. 66, losing her final six matches in 1997. | |||
Capriati did not play the first half of 1998. By the spring, she was ranked below the top 200. She accepted a wildcard entry into the clay-court tournament in Hamburg, Germany, where she reached the quarterfinals, but then lost to Martina Hingis. Capriati was also a quarterfinalist in Palermo, Italy. In the first round at Wimbledon, Capriati won her first Grand Slam singles match in five years, before losing to ] in the second round. Capriati finished 1998 ranked 101.<ref name=profile /> | |||
===1999–2000: Ascent=== | |||
1999 was Capriati's best season in several years. She won her first title in six years at Strasbourg, defeating ninth ranked ] in a quarterfinal for her first win over a top-10 player in two years. She defeated Russian ] in the final. She won her second title of the year at ], defeating American ] in the final. She also reached the round of 16 at both ] and US Open. She finished the year at No. 23. | |||
At the ], Capriati reached her first Grand Slam semifinal in nine years before losing to eventual champion Lindsay Davenport in straight sets. | |||
At the ], Capriati defeated world No. 6, ], for her first win over a player ranked in the top six in four years en route to a quarterfinal finish. Shortly after, Capriati was sidelined with right ] in April and an elbow injury in June. | |||
Capriati had a strong fall season, winning her ninth career title at Luxembourg, defeating ]. She also finished runner up in Quebec City to Chanda Rubin and was a semifinalist in Zürich. These results propelled Capriati back into the top 20 for the first time since April 1994. She qualified for the season-ending championships for the first time in seven years. Her year-end ranking was 14, her highest in seven years. Capriati was also a member of the ], winning a singles and doubles rubber in the U.S.' victory over Spain in the final.<ref name=profile /> | |||
===2001: Grand Slam champion and world No. 1=== | |||
Capriati was seeded 12th at the ]. She rallied from a set and a break down to defeat Monica Seles to reach the semis for the second consecutive year, beating world No. 2 Davenport. In her first Grand Slam final, she defeated top seed and world No. 1, Martina Hingis, in straight sets to win her first Grand Slam singles title. She was the lowest seed to ever win the title, and also the first player since ] in 1979 to defeat the top two ranked players in straight sets at a major. As a result of this triumph, Capriati re-entered the top 10 in the rankings at No. 7, the longest absence (nearly eight years) from the top 10 in WTA history. | |||
Capriati then reached the finals of the Cellular Cup in Oklahoma City, losing to Seles. After electing not to participate in the ], Capriati reached the final in Miami, losing to ] after having failed to convert on eight championship points. | |||
Capriati then embarked on a remarkably successful clay court campaign. She won her second title of the year at the ] in Charleston, South Carolina, defeating Hingis in three sets in the final. She then lost in the final of Berlin to ], also in three sets. Seeded fourth at the ], Capriati defeated top seed Hingis in the semifinals and the 12th seeded ] in the final to win her second consecutive Grand Slam title. Her 1–6, 6–4, 12–10 win over Clijsters had the longest-ever third set in a women's final in the French Open; four times in the match, Capriati was two points away from being defeated. She was only the fifth woman in history to win the Australian Open and the French Open consecutively. | |||
At Wimbledon, Capriati rallied from 7–6, 5–3, 30–0 down in the quarterfinals to defeat Serena Williams. Capriati's 19-match Grand Slam win streak ended in the semis at the hands of eighth seeded ]. Capriati rebounded at the Rogers Cup in Toronto, making it to the final before losing to Serena Williams after saving match point in the second set. Capriati then lost in the semifinals of the US Open to Venus Williams. Despite the loss, Capriati accumulated the best Grand Slam record of 2001, and she was the only player to reach at least the semifinals of all four of the Grand Slam tournaments. | |||
Despite playing very little in the fall, Capriati became ranked world No. 1 on October 15. She lost her opening match at the ] to Maleeva. Capriati would have finished the year ranked No. 1 if she had reached the semifinals. Instead, she finished No. 2, behind Lindsay Davenport, with a 56–14 record.<ref name=profile /> She was named the ], ], and ] for 2001. | |||
===2002: Third Grand Slam title=== | |||
As a result of Davenport's withdrawal from the Australian Open due to an injury, Capriati was the top seed. She defeated the sixth-seeded Amélie Mauresmo and the fourth-seeded Kim Clijsters en route to her second consecutive final there, where she once again faced Martina Hingis. The match was played in very hot conditions, with the temperature exceeding 35 degrees Celsius. Capriati fought back from 6–4, 4–0 down and four championship points to eventually prevail 4–6, 7–6<sup>(9–7)</sup>, 6–2. This was Capriati's third and final Grand Slam title. | |||
In the spring, Capriati reached finals in Scottsdale and Miami losing to Serena Williams on both occasions. Capriati prepared for her French Open title defense by participating in events in Charleston, Berlin, and Rome, losing in the semifinals of all three. As the top seed at the French Open, Capriati reached the semifinals—before losing to the eventual champion Serena Williams in three sets. Capriati surrendered her No. 1 ranking to Venus Williams as a result of this loss. Capriati's streak of six consecutive Grand Slam semifinals was broken at Wimbledon, where she lost to Amélie Mauresmo in three sets in the quarterfinals. She also lost to Mauresmo in the finals of the ], and in the quarterfinals of the US Open after having served for the match. | |||
Capriati won only one match in the three European indoor events she played. She rebounded at the year-ending championships, reaching the semifinals for the first time, losing to Serena Williams. Capriati finished the year ranked third.<ref name=profile /> | |||
===2003: New Haven champion=== | |||
A week after the 2002 WTA Championships, Capriati had eye surgery in order to remove ] (sun spots) from both eyes. Recovery from the surgery hampered Capriati's off-season preparation. | |||
In the opening round of the ] Capriati lost to unseeded and unheralded ]. Capriati was the first Australian Open title-holder to lose in the first round. She withdrew from the ] to further recover from her surgery. | |||
Capriati rebounded by reaching at least semifinals of the next five tournaments she played. She lost to Lindsay Davenport in the semifinals of the Indian Wells tournament. She then reached the final of the Miami Open for the third consecutive year before losing to world No. 1, Serena Williams. Capriati lost in the round of 16 of the French Open to unseeded ]. She reached the quarters of Wimbledon for the sixth time, losing to Serena Williams in three sets, her eighth consecutive loss to her compatriot. | |||
Capriati then reached her second final of 2003 in Stanford, losing to ] in three sets. A pectoral strain forced Capriati to retire from her opening match in San Diego and pull out of Montreal. Capriati won her first title of 2003 in New Haven after Davenport retired in the final while trailing. This ended a 28-tournament title drought for Capriati, and was her first tour victory since she won the ]. Seeded sixth at the US Open, Capriati reached the semifinal where she lost to second-seeded Justine Henin in a tight third-set tiebreak many experts believed she should have won. Capriati served for the match twice and was two points away from victory eleven times, but Henin prevailed in a three-hour marathon, despite Henin's serve being visibly affected by muscle cramps in her left leg throughout much of the last half hour of the match. | |||
Capriati did not play again until the WTA Tour Championships when she lost in the semifinal to Justine Henin again, now the world No. 1.<ref name=profile /> | |||
===2004: Final full season=== | |||
Injuries plagued Capriati's 2004 season. A back injury suffered during the ] forced Capriati to withdraw from the ] and the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo. Capriati advanced beyond the quarterfinals just once in her first four events of the year in ], losing to ] in the semifinals. Her back continued to be an issue, forcing her out of ] and Miami. Her ranking dropped to No. 10 as a result of her injuries. | |||
Capriati produced her best results of the year during the European clay-court season. She reached the semis of Berlin, defeating world No. 5 Myskina in the quarterfinals for her first top-5 win of the season, before losing to Mauresmo in the semifinals. At the ], Capriati defeated top seed Serena Williams in the quarterfinals, her first win over the American since Wimbledon 2001. Capriati moved on to the final, where she lost to Mauresmo in a three-hour struggle. Seeded seventh at the French Open, Capriati went on to the semifinals, before losing to sixth seeded and eventual champion Myskina in straight sets. | |||
At Wimbledon, Capriati reached the quarters for the fourth straight year, where she lost to Serena Williams in 45 minutes, the most lopsided result of their 17-match rivalry. A hamstring injury forced her to withdraw from Los Angeles and San Diego, but she reached the quarterfinals of both Montreal and New Haven. Seeded eighth at the US Open, Capriati defeated Williams in a controversial line call quarterfinal match by the chair umpire, ], to reach her fourth US Open semifinal. The call was shown repeatedly on TV via video replay to be clearly wrong, which had renewed calls and subsequently successful implementation of line-call technology such as MacCam and then Hawk-Eye. Capriati then lost to fifth seed ] in the last four in yet another, her third, tight US Open semifinal tiebreak, replicating the result in the tournament from the year before. | |||
Capriati had reached the semifinals of the US Open four times in her career (1991, 2001, 2003 and 2004), losing to a different opponent each time. Three of those times (1991, 2003 and 2004), she had lost in tough third-set tiebreaks, and two of those three opponents (Seles in 1991, and Henin in 2003) had then gone on to win the final and US Open championships easily in straight sets thereafter. | |||
Following the US Open, Capriati lost in the quarterfinals of Philadelphia to world No. 11, ], her worst loss since 1999 (where she won only one game against Graf in Miami). Capriati failed to qualify for the season-ending championships for the first time since 1999 and finished the year world No. 10.<ref name=profile /> | |||
==Playing style== | |||
{{original research|section|date=June 2018}} | |||
Capriati was one of the first power players to emerge on the women's circuit in the early-to-mid-1990s, along with ], ], and ]. Her style of play was characterized by taking the ball early and on the rise, powerful ground-strokes, and an aggressive mindset on the return of service. | |||
Capriati's game was built around her groundstrokes and movement. Her flat forehand, devastating when hit hard, was considered her biggest weapon, especially when she was stretched out wide. She also possessed a solid backhand. She was quick around the court, able to play defense as well as offense. Her biggest weakness was considered to be her serve. Her first serve was powerful but offset by a wandering ball-toss which often was thrown too far right, and her second serve was considered to be the most vulnerable part of her game. However, Capriati was known to counter her inconsistent serve with her exceptional return of serve. | |||
==Equipment and endorsements== | |||
In the 1990s, she signed a reported $3 million contract with Diadora, and a $1 million contract with ] tennis rackets.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-06-26-fi-640-story.html |title=Athletic Firms Going to the Net in Quest for Next Tennis Celebrity |newspaper=The Los Angeles Times |date=June 26, 1990 |first=Bruce |last=Horovitz |access-date=September 11, 2014 |url-access=subscription}}</ref> In the early 2000s, her tennis court apparel line was manufactured by ].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2000/08/20000828/No-Topic-Name/WHAT-THEYRE-WEARING-AND-HITTING-WITH-AT-THE-US-OPEN.aspx |title=WHAT THEY'RE WEARING (AND HITTING WITH) AT THE U.S. OPEN |publisher=SportsBusiness Journal |date=August 28, 2000 |access-date=September 10, 2014}}</ref> She used a Prince Precision Retro 27 Midplus racket.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2001/06/20010625/This-Weeks-Issue/What-Theyre-Wearing-And-Hitting-With-At-Wimbledon.aspx |title=What they're wearing (and hitting with) at Wimbledon |publisher=SportsBusiness Journal |date=June 25, 2001 |access-date=September 10, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140910200138/http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2001/06/20010625/This-Weeks-Issue/What-Theyre-Wearing-And-Hitting-With-At-Wimbledon.aspx |archive-date=September 10, 2014}}</ref> | |||
==Legacy and accolades== | |||
Capriati was inducted into the ] in 2012 at the age of just 36, and is generally considered one of the best tennis players of her generation and one of the best Grand Slam performers of her time frequently getting to the latter stages.<!--Do not remove "one of the greatest"; this is verified. --><ref name=greatestone /><ref name=greatesttwo /> A video game titled '']'' was released for the Sega Genesis in 1992.<ref name=vg /> In 2001, ESPN named Capriati one of the world's sexiest athletes.<ref>{{cite news |title=Jennifer Capriati |work=ESPN |access-date=September 7, 2015 |url=https://www.espn.com/sexiestathletes/jennifer_capriati.html}}</ref> She was awarded with the ] in 2001<ref name=Laureus>{{cite web|title=PAST WINNERS|url=https://www.laureus.com/world-sports-awards/past-winners|website=Laureus Sport for Good Foundation|accessdate=}}</ref> and ] in 2002.<ref name=Laureus /> | |||
==Post-tennis endeavors== | |||
In April 2009, the media announced that Capriati would appear on the television reality series ''The Superstars''. The show, described as a revival of the 1970s ], premiered on June 23, 2009, in a co-ed format, with Capriati paired with singer and actor ], best known for his role as a lifeguard on the television show '']''. In the first episode of the show, they were one of the lower-performing teams and were sent into a run-off in an ] race against basketball player ] and actor ]. Capriati/Charvet won their race and avoided elimination.<ref>{{cite web |title=Capriati to compete on reality show |work=Entertainment Weekly (Entertainment Weekly) |url=http://popwatch.ew.com/popwatch/2009/04/abcs-superstars.html |access-date=April 27, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090425034703/http://popwatch.ew.com/popwatch/2009/04/abcs-superstars.html |archive-date=April 25, 2009 |first=Chris |last=Nashawati |date=April 21, 2009}}</ref> She withdrew from the contest after re-aggravating a previous injury.<ref>{{cite news |first=Brendan |last=Gallagher|title=Jennifer Capriati in hospital following suspected drugs overdose |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/tennis/7858769/Jennifer-Capriati-in-hospital-following-suspected-drugs-overdose.html |url-access=subscription |date=June 28, 2010}}</ref> | |||
==Personal life== | |||
Capriati was born in New York City to Denise and Stefano Capriati, of Italian descent.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://linefame.com/jennifer-capriati-now/ | title=Where is Jennifer Capriati now? | date=December 3, 2021 | accessdate=August 13, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.hellomagazine.com/profiles/jennifer-capriati/ | title=Jennifer Capriati biography | date=October 8, 2009 | accessdate=13 August 2022}}</ref> In 1993, at age 17, Capriati was charged with shoplifting a $15 ring from a mall kiosk, which she has described as accidental.<ref>{{cite news |last=Finn |first=Robin |title=Shoplifting an Accident, Capriati Says of Charge |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1993/12/11/sports/tennis-shoplifting-an-accident-capriati-says-of-charge.html |access-date=March 12, 2013 |newspaper=The New York Times |date=December 11, 1993 |url-access=limited}}</ref> | |||
She was arrested on May 16, 1994, and charged with misdemeanor marijuana possession. She agreed to enter a drug counselling program.<ref>{{cite news |first=Julie |last=Cart |title=Still stuck in a whirlwinf |newspaper=The Los Angeles Times |date=January 19, 1996 |page=C1,C14}}</ref> In 2010, she required treatment for a drug overdose.<ref>{{cite web |title=Capriati recovering after 'accidental overdose' |url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2010-06-29/capriati-recovering-after-accidental-overdose/885298 |publisher=abc.net.au |access-date=March 12, 2013 |date=June 29, 2010}}</ref> In 2013, Capriati was charged with battery and stalking after reportedly following and striking former boyfriend Ivan Brennan on Valentine's Day. The charges were later dropped.<ref name=report>{{cite news |first=Holly |last=Yan |title=Stalking charge against tennis star Jennifer Capriati dropped |work=CNN |date=January 14, 2014 |access-date=September 7, 2015 |url=http://www.cnn.com/2014/01/14/us/capriati-stalking-charges-dropped/index.html?hpt=hp_t2}}</ref> In 2014, the state attorney's office in ], announced that Capriati had completed 30 hours of community service and four hours of anger management counseling in connection with the incident.<ref name=report /> | |||
==Significant finals== | |||
{{main article|Jennifer Capriati career statistics}} | |||
===Grand Slam tournaments: 3 (3 titles)=== | |||
{| class="sortable wikitable" | |||
! Outcome | |||
! Year | |||
! width=150 | Tournament | |||
! Surface | |||
! width=180 | Opponent | |||
! width=120 class="unsortable"|Score | |||
|- bgcolor="#FFFFCC" | |||
| bgcolor="98FB98" | Winner || ] || Australian Open || Hard || {{flagicon|SUI}} ] || 6–4, 6–3 | |||
|- bgcolor="#EBC2AF" | |||
| bgcolor="98FB98" | Winner || ] || French Open || Clay || {{flagicon|Belgium}} ] || 1–6, 6–4, 12–10 | |||
|- bgcolor="#FFFFCC" | |||
| bgcolor="98FB98" | Winner || ] || Australian Open <small>(2)</small> || Hard || {{flagicon|SUI}} Martina Hingis || 4–6, 7–6<sup>(9–7)</sup>, 6–2 | |||
|} | |||
===Olympic Games: 1 (gold medal)=== | |||
{| class="sortable wikitable" | |||
! Outcome | |||
! Year | |||
! width=150 | Tournament | |||
! Surface | |||
! width=180 | Opponent | |||
! width=120 class="unsortable"|Score | |||
|-bgcolor=FFEA5C | |||
| bgcolor="gold" | Gold || ] || ] || Clay || {{flagicon|GER}} ] || 3–6, 6–3, 6–4 | |||
|} | |||
==Grand Slam singles performance timeline== | |||
{{performance key|short=yes|active=no}} | |||
{|class="wikitable nowrap" style=text-align:center | |||
|- | |||
!Tournament!!width=40|1990!!width=40|1991!!width=40|1992!!width=40|1993!!width=40|1994!!width=40|1995!!width=40|1996!!width=40|1997!!width=40|1998!!width=40|1999!!width=40|2000!!width=40|2001!!width=40|2002!!width=40|2003!!width=40|2004!!width=50|SR!!width=50|W–L!!width=40|W% | |||
|- | |||
|align=left|] | |||
|A | |||
|A | |||
|bgcolor=ffebcd|] | |||
|bgcolor=ffebcd|] | |||
|A | |||
|A | |||
|A | |||
|bgcolor=afeeee|] | |||
|A | |||
|bgcolor=afeeee|] | |||
|bgcolor=yellow|] | |||
|bgcolor=lime|''']''' | |||
|bgcolor=lime|''']''' | |||
|bgcolor=afeeee|] | |||
|A | |||
|2 / 8 | |||
|28–6 | |||
|{{Percentage|28|34|0}} | |||
|- | |||
|align=left|] | |||
|bgcolor=yellow|] | |||
|bgcolor=afeeee|] | |||
|bgcolor=ffebcd|] | |||
|bgcolor=ffebcd|] | |||
|A | |||
|A | |||
|bgcolor=afeeee|] | |||
|A | |||
|A | |||
|bgcolor=afeeee|] | |||
|bgcolor=afeeee|] | |||
|bgcolor=lime|''']''' | |||
|bgcolor=yellow|] | |||
|bgcolor=afeeee|] | |||
|bgcolor=yellow|] | |||
|1 / 11 | |||
|39–10 | |||
|{{Percentage|39|49|0}} | |||
|- | |||
|align=left|] | |||
|bgcolor=afeeee|] | |||
|bgcolor=yellow|] | |||
|bgcolor=ffebcd|] | |||
|bgcolor=ffebcd|] | |||
|A | |||
|A | |||
|A | |||
|A | |||
|bgcolor=afeeee|] | |||
|bgcolor=afeeee|] | |||
|bgcolor=afeeee|] | |||
|bgcolor=yellow|] | |||
|bgcolor=ffebcd|] | |||
|bgcolor=ffebcd|] | |||
|bgcolor=ffebcd|] | |||
|0 / 11 | |||
|38–11 | |||
|{{Percentage|38|49|0}} | |||
|- | |||
|align=left|] | |||
|bgcolor=afeeee|] | |||
|bgcolor=yellow|] | |||
|bgcolor=afeeee|] | |||
|bgcolor=afeeee|] | |||
|A | |||
|A | |||
|bgcolor=afeeee|] | |||
|bgcolor=afeeee|] | |||
|bgcolor=afeeee|] | |||
|bgcolor=afeeee|] | |||
|bgcolor=afeeee|] | |||
|bgcolor=yellow|] | |||
|bgcolor=ffebcd|] | |||
|bgcolor=yellow|] | |||
|bgcolor=yellow|] | |||
|0 / 13 | |||
|35–13 | |||
|{{Percentage|35|48|0}} | |||
|- | |||
|align=left|'''Win–loss''' | |||
!11–3 | |||
!13–3 | |||
!14–4 | |||
!12–4 | |||
!0–0 | |||
!0–0 | |||
!0–2 | |||
!0–2 | |||
!1–2 | |||
!8–4 | |||
!11–4 | |||
!24–2 | |||
!20–3 | |||
!12–4 | |||
!14–3 | |||
!3 / 43 | |||
!140–40 | |||
!{{Percentage|140|180|0}} | |||
|} | |||
==References== | |||
{{reflist|30em}} | |||
==External links== | ==External links== | ||
{{commons category|Jennifer Capriati}} | |||
* {{WTA}} | |||
* | |||
* {{ITF profile}} | |||
* | |||
* {{Fed Cup player}} | |||
* | |||
* {{Tennis Hall of Fame}} | |||
* - Canada.com article dated August 10, 2004 | |||
* {{Olympedia}} | |||
* {{Olympics.com profile|jennifer-capriati}} | |||
* {{Team USA|new_id=jennifer-capriati|old_id=CA/Jennifer-Capriati|archive=20230504231529}} | |||
* {{IMDb name}} | |||
{{Clear}}{{hidden begin|title=Jennifer Capriati (Achievement predecessor & successor)|titlestyle=text-align: center|border=#aaa 1px solid; width: 99%}} | |||
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{{s-ttl|title = ]|years = October 15, 2001 – November 4, 2001<br>January 14, 2002 – February 24, 2002<br>March 18, 2002 – April 21, 2002<br>May 20, 2002 – June 9, 2002}} | |||
{{s-aft|after = {{flagicon|USA}} ]<br>{{flagicon|USA}} ]<br>{{flagicon|USA}} Venus Williams<br>{{flagicon|USA}} Venus Williams}} | |||
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Latest revision as of 15:33, 13 November 2024
American former tennis player (born 1976)
Capriati at the 2004 Wimbledon Championships | |||||||||||||||
Full name | Jennifer Maria Capriati | ||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Country (sports) | United States | ||||||||||||||
Residence | Wesley Chapel, Florida, U.S. | ||||||||||||||
Born | (1976-03-29) March 29, 1976 (age 48) New York City, U.S. | ||||||||||||||
Height | 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m) | ||||||||||||||
Turned pro | March 1990 | ||||||||||||||
Retired | 2004 | ||||||||||||||
Plays | Right-handed (two-handed backhand) | ||||||||||||||
Prize money | US$ 10,206,639 | ||||||||||||||
Int. Tennis HoF | 2012 (member page) | ||||||||||||||
Singles | |||||||||||||||
Career record | 430–176 | ||||||||||||||
Career titles | 14 | ||||||||||||||
Highest ranking | No. 1 (October 15, 2001) | ||||||||||||||
Grand Slam singles results | |||||||||||||||
Australian Open | W (2001, 2002) | ||||||||||||||
French Open | W (2001) | ||||||||||||||
Wimbledon | SF (1991, 2001) | ||||||||||||||
US Open | SF (1991, 2001, 2003, 2004) | ||||||||||||||
Other tournaments | |||||||||||||||
Tour Finals | SF (2002, 2003) | ||||||||||||||
Olympic Games | W (1992) | ||||||||||||||
Doubles | |||||||||||||||
Career record | 66–50 | ||||||||||||||
Career titles | 1 | ||||||||||||||
Highest ranking | No. 28 (March 2, 1992) | ||||||||||||||
Grand Slam doubles results | |||||||||||||||
Australian Open | 3R (2000) | ||||||||||||||
French Open | 3R (2000, 2001) | ||||||||||||||
Wimbledon | 3R (1991, 2000) | ||||||||||||||
US Open | QF (2001) | ||||||||||||||
Medal record
|
Jennifer Maria Capriati (born March 29, 1976) is an American former world No. 1 tennis player. A member of the International Tennis Hall of Fame, she won three singles Grand Slam titles and was the gold medalist at the 1992 Summer Olympics.
Capriati set a number of youngest-ever records at the start of her career. She made her professional debut in 1990 at the age of 13 years, 11 months, reaching the final of the hard-court tournament in Boca Raton, Florida. She reached the semifinals of the French Open in her debut and later became the youngest-ever player to reach the top 10, at age 14 years, 235 days, in October of that year. Following a first-round loss at the 1993 US Open, she took a 14-month break from competitive pro tennis. Her personal struggles during this time (including arrests for shoplifting and possession of marijuana) were well documented by the press.
In 1998, Capriati won her first major-level singles match in five years at Wimbledon. During the next two years, she slowly returned to championship form, winning her first title in six years in Strasbourg in 1999 and regaining a top-20 ranking. At the 2001 Australian Open, the reinvigorated Capriati became the lowest seed ever to win the championship when she defeated Martina Hingis in straight sets for her first Grand Slam championship. She also won the French Open that year, claiming the WTA No. 1 ranking in October. After successfully defending her Australian Open title in 2002, she became a top-10 mainstay until injuries derailed her career in 2004. She won 14 professional singles tournaments during her career, along with one women's doubles championship.
Career
1990–1991: The records
Capriati won the Junior Orange Bowl in both the 12- and the 14-year categories, and is one of only nine tennis players to win the Junior Orange Bowl Championship twice in its 70-year history, which list includes Andy Murray, Jimmy Connors, Monica Seles, and Yishai Oliel.
Capriati made her professional debut as a 13-year-old, reaching the finals of two of her first three pro events, losing to Gabriela Sabatini and Martina Navratilova in the Boca Raton and Hilton Head tournaments, respectively, earning her first two wins over top-10 players (No. 10 Helena Suková and number-five Arantxa Sánchez Vicario). She entered the rankings in April, at No. 23. Capriati made her Grand Slam debut at the French Open. She went all the way to the semifinals, losing to eventual champion Monica Seles. She then reached the fourth round at Wimbledon, losing to Steffi Graf. Later in the year Capriati won her first career title in Puerto Rico, defeating Zina Garrison. After this victory Capriati entered the world's top 10. She qualified for the WTA Championships, narrowly losing to Graf in the first round in three sets. She finished her first season as a professional at world No. 8.
Throughout the season Capriati set multiple "youngest ever" records. She was the youngest player to reach a tour final, the youngest player to reach the semifinals at the French Open, the youngest seed ever at Wimbledon, and the youngest player to qualify for the season-ending championships. She was also the fourth-youngest player to win a WTA Tour title. She was named the WTA Newcomer of the Year for 1990.
In her second season as a touring pro, Capriati established herself as a consistent top-10 player. She won two singles titles during the summer hard court circuit, defeating world No. 1, Monica Seles, in a third set tie-breaker in final of San Diego, and Katerina Maleeva in straight sets in the final of Toronto. She also reached two Grand Slam semifinals, at Wimbledon and the US Open. At Wimbledon, the 15-year-old Capriati stunned nine-time champion Martina Navratilova, defeating her in the quarterfinals in straight sets. Capriati became the youngest person to ever reach the semifinal round of the tournament, losing to Sabatini. At the US Open, Capriati defeated Sabatini in the quarters but lost in the semis to eventual champion Seles in a third-set tiebreak after serving for the match twice. Capriati qualified for the year-end championships for the second time, reaching the quarterfinals. She ended the year at No. 6.
Capriati also won the only doubles title of her career at the Italian Open, partnering with Seles.
1992–1993: Continued success, Olympic gold medal
Capriati's 1992 season was highlighted by her victory at the Summer Olympics. She defeated second-seeded Arantxa Sánchez Vicario in the semifinals and came from a set down to defeat top-seeded Steffi Graf in the gold-medal match. Capriati next defended her title in San Diego, defeating Conchita Martínez in the final, the only time that Capriati won back-to-back singles titles during her career. She reached the quarter-finals at the Australian Open (in her debut), at the French Open, and at Wimbledon, and then she lost in the third round at the US Open. In Miami, Capriati ended Monica Seles's streak of 21 consecutive finals by defeating her in the quarterfinals. Capriati finished the year ranked in the top 10 for the third straight year, at No. 7. She also became the youngest player to surpass $1 million in prize money (Martina Hingis later broke this record). Also in 1992, a Sega Genesis video game titled Jennifer Capriati Tennis was released by Renovation Products.
At her first tournament (Sydney 1993), Capriati defeated third-ranked Sabatini in the semifinals before defeating Anke Huber in the final. For the second straight year, she reached the quarterfinals at the first three majors of the year. She reached the final of the Rogers Cup in Montreal, losing to Steffi Graf. At the US Open, the seventh-seeded Capriati lost her opening match to former top 15-player Leila Meskhi, her first loss in the first round of any pro tournament. Following this loss, Capriati decided to take a break from tennis. She finished the year ranked ninth.
1994–95: Break from tour
Capriati only played one match in 1994, losing in the first round of Philadelphia to Anke Huber. She fell off the rankings in June. She did not play at all in 1995.
1996: Return
Capriati, unranked, played her first match in 15 months in Essen, where she reached the quarterfinals, losing to Jana Novotná in three sets. She reached her first final in more than three years at Chicago, defeating Monica Seles en route, before losing again to Novotná in three sets. Capriati also reached the quarters in the fall at the Zurich Open, defeating Sabatini in the opening round in what was the last singles match of Sabatini's career. Capriati competed in her first Grand Slam tournaments since 1993 at the French Open and the US Open, losing in the first round of both. Capriati re-appeared on the rankings in April at No. 103, and finished the year inside the top 25, at No. 24. She was named the WTA Comeback Player of the Year for 1996.
1997–98: Descent in the rankings
In January 1997, Capriati reached the final in Sydney for the second time in her career, defeating world No. 9, Lindsay Davenport, en route to her only top-10 win of the year, losing to Martina Hingis in the final. She only reached the quarterfinals at one other tournament, Oklahoma City, where she lost to Davenport. Capriati finished the year at No. 66, losing her final six matches in 1997.
Capriati did not play the first half of 1998. By the spring, she was ranked below the top 200. She accepted a wildcard entry into the clay-court tournament in Hamburg, Germany, where she reached the quarterfinals, but then lost to Martina Hingis. Capriati was also a quarterfinalist in Palermo, Italy. In the first round at Wimbledon, Capriati won her first Grand Slam singles match in five years, before losing to Lori McNeil in the second round. Capriati finished 1998 ranked 101.
1999–2000: Ascent
1999 was Capriati's best season in several years. She won her first title in six years at Strasbourg, defeating ninth ranked Nathalie Tauziat in a quarterfinal for her first win over a top-10 player in two years. She defeated Russian Elena Likhovtseva in the final. She won her second title of the year at Quebec City, defeating American Chanda Rubin in the final. She also reached the round of 16 at both Roland Garros and US Open. She finished the year at No. 23.
At the 2000 Australian Open, Capriati reached her first Grand Slam semifinal in nine years before losing to eventual champion Lindsay Davenport in straight sets.
At the Miami Open, Capriati defeated world No. 6, Serena Williams, for her first win over a player ranked in the top six in four years en route to a quarterfinal finish. Shortly after, Capriati was sidelined with right Achilles tendonitis in April and an elbow injury in June.
Capriati had a strong fall season, winning her ninth career title at Luxembourg, defeating Magdalena Maleeva. She also finished runner up in Quebec City to Chanda Rubin and was a semifinalist in Zürich. These results propelled Capriati back into the top 20 for the first time since April 1994. She qualified for the season-ending championships for the first time in seven years. Her year-end ranking was 14, her highest in seven years. Capriati was also a member of the United States Fed Cup team, winning a singles and doubles rubber in the U.S.' victory over Spain in the final.
2001: Grand Slam champion and world No. 1
Capriati was seeded 12th at the Australian Open. She rallied from a set and a break down to defeat Monica Seles to reach the semis for the second consecutive year, beating world No. 2 Davenport. In her first Grand Slam final, she defeated top seed and world No. 1, Martina Hingis, in straight sets to win her first Grand Slam singles title. She was the lowest seed to ever win the title, and also the first player since Tracy Austin in 1979 to defeat the top two ranked players in straight sets at a major. As a result of this triumph, Capriati re-entered the top 10 in the rankings at No. 7, the longest absence (nearly eight years) from the top 10 in WTA history.
Capriati then reached the finals of the Cellular Cup in Oklahoma City, losing to Seles. After electing not to participate in the Indian Wells Open, Capriati reached the final in Miami, losing to Venus Williams after having failed to convert on eight championship points.
Capriati then embarked on a remarkably successful clay court campaign. She won her second title of the year at the Family Circle Cup in Charleston, South Carolina, defeating Hingis in three sets in the final. She then lost in the final of Berlin to Amélie Mauresmo, also in three sets. Seeded fourth at the French Open, Capriati defeated top seed Hingis in the semifinals and the 12th seeded Kim Clijsters in the final to win her second consecutive Grand Slam title. Her 1–6, 6–4, 12–10 win over Clijsters had the longest-ever third set in a women's final in the French Open; four times in the match, Capriati was two points away from being defeated. She was only the fifth woman in history to win the Australian Open and the French Open consecutively.
At Wimbledon, Capriati rallied from 7–6, 5–3, 30–0 down in the quarterfinals to defeat Serena Williams. Capriati's 19-match Grand Slam win streak ended in the semis at the hands of eighth seeded Justine Henin. Capriati rebounded at the Rogers Cup in Toronto, making it to the final before losing to Serena Williams after saving match point in the second set. Capriati then lost in the semifinals of the US Open to Venus Williams. Despite the loss, Capriati accumulated the best Grand Slam record of 2001, and she was the only player to reach at least the semifinals of all four of the Grand Slam tournaments.
Despite playing very little in the fall, Capriati became ranked world No. 1 on October 15. She lost her opening match at the WTA Tour Championships to Maleeva. Capriati would have finished the year ranked No. 1 if she had reached the semifinals. Instead, she finished No. 2, behind Lindsay Davenport, with a 56–14 record. She was named the ITF World Champion, WTA Player of the Year, and Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year for 2001.
2002: Third Grand Slam title
As a result of Davenport's withdrawal from the Australian Open due to an injury, Capriati was the top seed. She defeated the sixth-seeded Amélie Mauresmo and the fourth-seeded Kim Clijsters en route to her second consecutive final there, where she once again faced Martina Hingis. The match was played in very hot conditions, with the temperature exceeding 35 degrees Celsius. Capriati fought back from 6–4, 4–0 down and four championship points to eventually prevail 4–6, 7–6, 6–2. This was Capriati's third and final Grand Slam title.
In the spring, Capriati reached finals in Scottsdale and Miami losing to Serena Williams on both occasions. Capriati prepared for her French Open title defense by participating in events in Charleston, Berlin, and Rome, losing in the semifinals of all three. As the top seed at the French Open, Capriati reached the semifinals—before losing to the eventual champion Serena Williams in three sets. Capriati surrendered her No. 1 ranking to Venus Williams as a result of this loss. Capriati's streak of six consecutive Grand Slam semifinals was broken at Wimbledon, where she lost to Amélie Mauresmo in three sets in the quarterfinals. She also lost to Mauresmo in the finals of the Canadian Open, and in the quarterfinals of the US Open after having served for the match.
Capriati won only one match in the three European indoor events she played. She rebounded at the year-ending championships, reaching the semifinals for the first time, losing to Serena Williams. Capriati finished the year ranked third.
2003: New Haven champion
A week after the 2002 WTA Championships, Capriati had eye surgery in order to remove pterygiums (sun spots) from both eyes. Recovery from the surgery hampered Capriati's off-season preparation.
In the opening round of the 2003 Australian Open Capriati lost to unseeded and unheralded Marlene Weingärtner. Capriati was the first Australian Open title-holder to lose in the first round. She withdrew from the Pan Pacific Open to further recover from her surgery.
Capriati rebounded by reaching at least semifinals of the next five tournaments she played. She lost to Lindsay Davenport in the semifinals of the Indian Wells tournament. She then reached the final of the Miami Open for the third consecutive year before losing to world No. 1, Serena Williams. Capriati lost in the round of 16 of the French Open to unseeded Nadia Petrova. She reached the quarters of Wimbledon for the sixth time, losing to Serena Williams in three sets, her eighth consecutive loss to her compatriot.
Capriati then reached her second final of 2003 in Stanford, losing to Kim Clijsters in three sets. A pectoral strain forced Capriati to retire from her opening match in San Diego and pull out of Montreal. Capriati won her first title of 2003 in New Haven after Davenport retired in the final while trailing. This ended a 28-tournament title drought for Capriati, and was her first tour victory since she won the 2002 Australian Open. Seeded sixth at the US Open, Capriati reached the semifinal where she lost to second-seeded Justine Henin in a tight third-set tiebreak many experts believed she should have won. Capriati served for the match twice and was two points away from victory eleven times, but Henin prevailed in a three-hour marathon, despite Henin's serve being visibly affected by muscle cramps in her left leg throughout much of the last half hour of the match.
Capriati did not play again until the WTA Tour Championships when she lost in the semifinal to Justine Henin again, now the world No. 1.
2004: Final full season
Injuries plagued Capriati's 2004 season. A back injury suffered during the 2003 WTA Tour Championships forced Capriati to withdraw from the 2004 Australian Open and the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo. Capriati advanced beyond the quarterfinals just once in her first four events of the year in Doha, losing to Anastasia Myskina in the semifinals. Her back continued to be an issue, forcing her out of Indian Wells and Miami. Her ranking dropped to No. 10 as a result of her injuries.
Capriati produced her best results of the year during the European clay-court season. She reached the semis of Berlin, defeating world No. 5 Myskina in the quarterfinals for her first top-5 win of the season, before losing to Mauresmo in the semifinals. At the Italian Open, Capriati defeated top seed Serena Williams in the quarterfinals, her first win over the American since Wimbledon 2001. Capriati moved on to the final, where she lost to Mauresmo in a three-hour struggle. Seeded seventh at the French Open, Capriati went on to the semifinals, before losing to sixth seeded and eventual champion Myskina in straight sets.
At Wimbledon, Capriati reached the quarters for the fourth straight year, where she lost to Serena Williams in 45 minutes, the most lopsided result of their 17-match rivalry. A hamstring injury forced her to withdraw from Los Angeles and San Diego, but she reached the quarterfinals of both Montreal and New Haven. Seeded eighth at the US Open, Capriati defeated Williams in a controversial line call quarterfinal match by the chair umpire, Mariana Alves, to reach her fourth US Open semifinal. The call was shown repeatedly on TV via video replay to be clearly wrong, which had renewed calls and subsequently successful implementation of line-call technology such as MacCam and then Hawk-Eye. Capriati then lost to fifth seed Elena Dementieva in the last four in yet another, her third, tight US Open semifinal tiebreak, replicating the result in the tournament from the year before.
Capriati had reached the semifinals of the US Open four times in her career (1991, 2001, 2003 and 2004), losing to a different opponent each time. Three of those times (1991, 2003 and 2004), she had lost in tough third-set tiebreaks, and two of those three opponents (Seles in 1991, and Henin in 2003) had then gone on to win the final and US Open championships easily in straight sets thereafter.
Following the US Open, Capriati lost in the quarterfinals of Philadelphia to world No. 11, Vera Zvonareva, her worst loss since 1999 (where she won only one game against Graf in Miami). Capriati failed to qualify for the season-ending championships for the first time since 1999 and finished the year world No. 10.
Playing style
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Capriati was one of the first power players to emerge on the women's circuit in the early-to-mid-1990s, along with Monica Seles, Lindsay Davenport, and Mary Pierce. Her style of play was characterized by taking the ball early and on the rise, powerful ground-strokes, and an aggressive mindset on the return of service.
Capriati's game was built around her groundstrokes and movement. Her flat forehand, devastating when hit hard, was considered her biggest weapon, especially when she was stretched out wide. She also possessed a solid backhand. She was quick around the court, able to play defense as well as offense. Her biggest weakness was considered to be her serve. Her first serve was powerful but offset by a wandering ball-toss which often was thrown too far right, and her second serve was considered to be the most vulnerable part of her game. However, Capriati was known to counter her inconsistent serve with her exceptional return of serve.
Equipment and endorsements
In the 1990s, she signed a reported $3 million contract with Diadora, and a $1 million contract with Prince tennis rackets. In the early 2000s, her tennis court apparel line was manufactured by Fila. She used a Prince Precision Retro 27 Midplus racket.
Legacy and accolades
Capriati was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2012 at the age of just 36, and is generally considered one of the best tennis players of her generation and one of the best Grand Slam performers of her time frequently getting to the latter stages. A video game titled Jennifer Capriati Tennis was released for the Sega Genesis in 1992. In 2001, ESPN named Capriati one of the world's sexiest athletes. She was awarded with the Laureus World Sports Award for Comeback of the Year in 2001 and Laureus World Sports Award for Sportswoman of the Year in 2002.
Post-tennis endeavors
In April 2009, the media announced that Capriati would appear on the television reality series The Superstars. The show, described as a revival of the 1970s series of the same name, premiered on June 23, 2009, in a co-ed format, with Capriati paired with singer and actor David Charvet, best known for his role as a lifeguard on the television show Baywatch. In the first episode of the show, they were one of the lower-performing teams and were sent into a run-off in an obstacle course race against basketball player Lisa Leslie and actor Dan Cortese. Capriati/Charvet won their race and avoided elimination. She withdrew from the contest after re-aggravating a previous injury.
Personal life
Capriati was born in New York City to Denise and Stefano Capriati, of Italian descent. In 1993, at age 17, Capriati was charged with shoplifting a $15 ring from a mall kiosk, which she has described as accidental.
She was arrested on May 16, 1994, and charged with misdemeanor marijuana possession. She agreed to enter a drug counselling program. In 2010, she required treatment for a drug overdose. In 2013, Capriati was charged with battery and stalking after reportedly following and striking former boyfriend Ivan Brennan on Valentine's Day. The charges were later dropped. In 2014, the state attorney's office in Palm Beach County, Florida, announced that Capriati had completed 30 hours of community service and four hours of anger management counseling in connection with the incident.
Significant finals
Main article: Jennifer Capriati career statisticsGrand Slam tournaments: 3 (3 titles)
Outcome | Year | Tournament | Surface | Opponent | Score |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Winner | 2001 | Australian Open | Hard | Martina Hingis | 6–4, 6–3 |
Winner | 2001 | French Open | Clay | Kim Clijsters | 1–6, 6–4, 12–10 |
Winner | 2002 | Australian Open (2) | Hard | Martina Hingis | 4–6, 7–6, 6–2 |
Olympic Games: 1 (gold medal)
Outcome | Year | Tournament | Surface | Opponent | Score |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Gold | 1992 | Barcelona Olympics | Clay | Steffi Graf | 3–6, 6–3, 6–4 |
Grand Slam singles performance timeline
W | F | SF | QF | #R | RR | Q# | DNQ | A | NH |
Tournament | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | SR | W–L | W% |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Australian Open | A | A | QF | QF | A | A | A | 1R | A | 2R | SF | W | W | 1R | A | 2 / 8 | 28–6 | 82% |
French Open | SF | 4R | QF | QF | A | A | 1R | A | A | 4R | 1R | W | SF | 4R | SF | 1 / 11 | 39–10 | 80% |
Wimbledon | 4R | SF | QF | QF | A | A | A | A | 2R | 2R | 4R | SF | QF | QF | QF | 0 / 11 | 38–11 | 78% |
US Open | 4R | SF | 3R | 1R | A | A | 1R | 1R | 1R | 4R | 4R | SF | QF | SF | SF | 0 / 13 | 35–13 | 73% |
Win–loss | 11–3 | 13–3 | 14–4 | 12–4 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–2 | 8–4 | 11–4 | 24–2 | 20–3 | 12–4 | 14–3 | 3 / 43 | 140–40 | 78% |
References
- ^ "Jennifer Capriati". wtatennis.com. Retrieved September 7, 2015.
- "Jennifer Capriati". britannica.com. Retrieved May 17, 2013.
- ^ "100 Greatest of All Time". Yahoo. Retrieved September 7, 2015.
- ^ "Capriati into Hall of Fame". skysports.com. April 12, 2014. Retrieved September 7, 2015.
- Aharoni, Oren (December 23, 2014). "14-year-old Israeli wins revered junior tennis tournament". ynetnews.
- Finn, Robin (July 4, 1991). "TENNIS; Navratilova Finds 15 Beats 34 at Wimbledon". The New York Times. Retrieved September 21, 2014.
- ^ "Jennifer Capriati Tennis". gamerankings.com. Retrieved September 7, 2015.
- Horovitz, Bruce (June 26, 1990). "Athletic Firms Going to the Net in Quest for Next Tennis Celebrity". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 11, 2014.
- "WHAT THEY'RE WEARING (AND HITTING WITH) AT THE U.S. OPEN". SportsBusiness Journal. August 28, 2000. Retrieved September 10, 2014.
- "What they're wearing (and hitting with) at Wimbledon". SportsBusiness Journal. June 25, 2001. Archived from the original on September 10, 2014. Retrieved September 10, 2014.
- "Jennifer Capriati". ESPN. Retrieved September 7, 2015.
- ^ "PAST WINNERS". Laureus Sport for Good Foundation.
- Nashawati, Chris (April 21, 2009). "Capriati to compete on reality show". Entertainment Weekly (Entertainment Weekly). Archived from the original on April 25, 2009. Retrieved April 27, 2009.
- Gallagher, Brendan (June 28, 2010). "Jennifer Capriati in hospital following suspected drugs overdose". The Daily Telegraph.
- "Where is Jennifer Capriati now?". December 3, 2021. Retrieved August 13, 2022.
- "Jennifer Capriati biography". October 8, 2009. Retrieved August 13, 2022.
- Finn, Robin (December 11, 1993). "Shoplifting an Accident, Capriati Says of Charge". The New York Times. Retrieved March 12, 2013.
- Cart, Julie (January 19, 1996). "Still stuck in a whirlwinf". The Los Angeles Times. p. C1,C14.
- "Capriati recovering after 'accidental overdose'". abc.net.au. June 29, 2010. Retrieved March 12, 2013.
- ^ Yan, Holly (January 14, 2014). "Stalking charge against tennis star Jennifer Capriati dropped". CNN. Retrieved September 7, 2015.
External links
- Jennifer Capriati at the Women's Tennis Association
- Jennifer Capriati at the International Tennis Federation
- Jennifer Capriati at the Billie Jean King Cup
- Jennifer Capriati at the International Tennis Hall of Fame
- Jennifer Capriati at Olympedia (archive)
- Jennifer Capriati at Olympics.com
- Jennifer Capriati at Team USA (archive May 4, 2023)
- Jennifer Capriati at IMDb
Sporting positions | ||
---|---|---|
Preceded by Martina Hingis Lindsay Davenport Venus Williams Venus Williams |
World No. 1 October 15, 2001 – November 4, 2001 January 14, 2002 – February 24, 2002 March 18, 2002 – April 21, 2002 May 20, 2002 – June 9, 2002 |
Succeeded by Lindsay Davenport Venus Williams Venus Williams Venus Williams |
Awards and achievements | ||
Preceded by Conchita Martínez | WTA Newcomer of the Year 1990 |
Succeeded by Andrea Strnadová |
Preceded by Monica Seles | WTA Comeback Player of the Year 1996 |
Succeeded by Mary Pierce |
Preceded by Venus Williams | WTA Player of the Year 2001 |
Succeeded by Serena Williams |
Preceded by Martina Hingis | ITF World Champion 2001 |
Succeeded by Serena Williams |
Preceded by Marion Jones | Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year 2001 |
Succeeded by Serena Williams |
Preceded byMarion Jones | USOC Sportswoman of the Year 2001 |
Succeeded bySarah Hughes |
Preceded by Cathy Freeman | World Sportswoman of the Year 2002 |
Succeeded by Serena Williams |
- 1976 births
- Living people
- American female tennis players
- American people of Italian descent
- Australian Open (tennis) champions
- French Open champions
- Laureus World Sports Awards winners
- Olympic gold medalists for the United States in tennis
- Tennis players from New York City
- Tennis players from Florida
- Tennis players at the 1992 Summer Olympics
- Wimbledon junior champions
- US Open (tennis) junior champions
- International Tennis Hall of Fame inductees
- Grand Slam (tennis) champions in women's singles
- Grand Slam (tennis) champions in girls' singles
- Grand Slam (tennis) champions in girls' doubles
- Medalists at the 1992 Summer Olympics
- People from Wesley Chapel, Florida
- Sportspeople from Pasco County, Florida
- 20th-century American sportswomen
- WTA number 1 ranked singles tennis players
- ITF World Champions