May, 31st 2003
Capriati D Vakulenko 6-1, 6-2
Q. Was it as easy as the score looked?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: It was kind of easy most of the way. In the beginning, it
was a little difficult because I just didn't realize how she played, and she
had a big serve. And then the last two games, you know, she started making a
few more shots. I was so, I mean, out of rhythm because it didn't seem like
I hit a ball the whole match, so...
But, you know, sometimes that easy, you know, is difficult because you have
to work so hard on your concentration.
Q. So is it hard to tell now where your level is, given that it was I'm
not going to say up and down match, but she didn't give you a lot of balls to play?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: No, no, no. I can still feel that my strokes, I'm playing
well, and moving well. I'm pretty much doing what I want with the ball, for
the most part. You know, we'll see when I get really tested. I mean, of
course, it's a different level. But I think I can play up to that level and
just, you know, need to do it.
Q. How much is it just the locale,
being at Roland Garros? You've won here. When you get down to the court, is
it a natural confidence that comes because you know you've won so many big
matches here?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: That. But if you're not feeling good and you don't feel
like you're ready or you're in good enough shape, you know, you haven't been
training well, it doesn't matter. You know, you can't rely on that. So it's
a combination of both things.
Q. You're playing very good tennis, but it seems like you're not so much
in the center of the media storm. I was wondering, can you talk about that?
Is that sort of the perfect scenario for you?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah. I do like that because I can just do my thing, and
now I'm more relaxed and have a better concentration. There's not so much to
listen to, or I don't have to try not to listen to it. So, yeah.
Q. It was her first Grand Slam. How long ago now does it seem it was your
first Grand Slam?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: A long time (smiling). Yeah, it just seems another
lifetime ago, when I played my first one.
Q. When you go out and play a complete rookie like that,
do you ever think back?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: No. I mean, I didn't really realize that that was her
first Grand Slam. I didn't know. And I haven't seen her. I don't know how
young she is. She looks kind of old.
Q. She's 19.
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: No. At that stage, I'm just trying to focus on myself,
play my best tennis, win the match.
Q. Of the young players that you've played who
aren't at the top of the game already, who has impressed you the most, would
you say, the last couple years, people that you think have good futures?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Hmm... Who have I played? I think Daniilidou has a lot of
talent. She can get her game together. Name a few, I can't remember.
Q. Any Russians that haven't made it through yet.
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah, the Russians. I think Myskina is good.
Svetlana Kuznetsova is her name, I think she's got a lot of potential.
Q. How about Americans? Harkleroad?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah, I think she's a hard worker. You know, she's
improved on her strength. Maybe before she kind of didn't have that much bite on her shots.
You know, she'll always give the top players a tough time. You know, against
the other players, lower-ranked players, she can beat them because she just
moves so well. She just is very consistent.
Q. Speaking of Russians, you have Petrova in the next round. She just
said she thought she played you very tough in Rome, and that whoever wins
the match will be the mentally stronger player. Just talk about her game.
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah, well, she's got a big serve. You know, she hits big
shots off the ground. She has powerful groundstrokes. She moves pretty good
for being a big girl. You know, I think it's up to how I play. If I can
still move her around and not let her dictate, you know, try to hold on to
my serve, which would be very important because, you know, I had a tough
time breaking her the last time.
Q. You talked about the time you have to go up to another level. Will the
next match be that other level?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah. I mean, I think already I am at that level; I
haven't had to, you know, do it yet, play it yet. I think it's just -- I
mean, I'm feeling up there. The rest is pretty much mental for here on out.
Q. When you see Serena take apart an opponent as easily as she did
yesterday, does that weigh into your mind in any way when you think about
your chances in the tournament?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Not at all. I mean, I don't think anyone cares about
those results. I think just people care who's the winner of the tournament.
Q. You seem much more relaxed than last year, more comfortable in your
own skin. Is that accurate? Is there some philosophy that you've sort of
adopted in the last year that's helped you find contentment?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Well, I've said this briefly before. You know, I'm trying
to put my priorities in line. I think the first thing is just being happy
with yourself, comfortable in your own skin, you know, because there's life
after tennis. So I'm just, you know, making sure that I have the life after tennis.
I had some personal stuff that I was dealing with, maybe in some
relationships, whatever. All of that is a combination, just working out --
you know, I just don't let things bother me as much. I realize it's just a
waste of energy.
Q. The same topic of kind of enjoying life outside of tennis. When you
come to a tournament like this, do you do anything? Do you go out and enjoy
Paris on a day like this? Are you relaxing in your free time?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Of course, there's a little bit of shopping. You know, I've
never been to certain places around here, so maybe I'll try to go, like to
the Louvre. I've never been there.
You know, at the tournaments, I mean, I'm content just staying in my room
and just relaxing, really just chilling out and not having to do anything
because, you know, there's always something - either with practice, press,
whatever. It's nice to just do nothing.
Q. Trying to relax, be relative about tennis, what the important things
are, was Australia a case of that, too? Was that more you coming off your
surgery, not feeling great because of the operation on your eye?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah, it was that. You know, I didn't have any time to
really rest, clear my mind and recover from the year. Basically I had no time.
After that, I was like, "You know, I need a break here, I need a mental
break." I took time off and I did things I wanted to do for me. I just didn't
touch a racquet for, you know, a week or whatever.
I needed that, so...
You know, it's not like it's so urgent, that I don't have to feel so, like,
pressed all the time to, you know, play and do well, you know, week in and
week out. It's not going to happen anyway if I'm tired, so...
Q. Talking about this new contentment and maturity. For so long you were
the youngest to do this, to do that. Now you and Lindsay, maybe Chanda, are
the oldest American women in the draw. Do you feel you're sort of ready to
accept that mantle as one of the veterans on the tour - and what does that mean?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I'll wait till I get the question of when will I actually
really start seriously think about retirement (laughter). I don't know if
it's coming close or not. Yeah, I still feel I can definitely hang with the
young guns out there. I mean, I still feel that way inside, that I'm still a
youngster - believe me (smiling).
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