09 giugno 2001
Capriati D Clijsters 1-6, 6-4, 12-10
Q. Looked like you were fighting yourself there almost the whole match until
maybe towards the end of the third set. What was going through your head?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Fighting myself?
Q. Yes.
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: No, I was fighting a very tough opponent. She was just
playing really well from the beginning. She played unbelievable the first
set. You know, maybe I wasn't playing my best tennis, like I had been the
whole two weeks. But at the right times I picked it up. I think in the third
set it went up and down a lot. Even she had her good moments and then bad
moments. You know, it's just at the end is what counts.
But, you know, it was just the final, a lot of excitement going on. The
crowd, you know, was very into it. Those fans there, I wasn't used to it.
Maybe I wasn't that focused in the beginning. You know, some things were
kind of getting to me.
But I settled down in the start of the second set. I definitely played a lot
better.
Q. So what did it feel like? You looked pretty relieved, happy, joyful?
You had a lot of expressions on your face.
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah, all those things. Just really happy that I pulled
it out, such a tough match. I was just fighting till the end, you know, for
my life out there. I just wanted to win so bad. Afterwards, you know, it
just paid off, all the fight. I'm just really happy and relieved.
Q. How would you compare the excitement of these two Slams, Australia and
here? What gives you more satisfaction and excitement?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I don't know. That's tough to say. They're both different.
I mean, Australia was my first one, which was tough, you know, the first
one. But then I think maybe it's even tougher, the second one, because you
don't really know if you can follow up, there's more expectations, more
pressure.
I don't know, it's tough to say. But I think equally they're just both
special.
Q. What were the things that were getting to you? What were you telling
yourself at the end of that first set?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Well, I wasn't used to all those Belgian fans. You know,
every match before had been pretty quiet. You know, I don't know, something
with the microphone there during the first set.
But it's probably just nerves, and also that she was playing so well. She
was just getting me frustrated, and I didn't really know what to do.
But I just stayed in there. I mean, I was able to hang in there, and I knew
that I would pick up the level of my game. You know, if she's going to play
two sets like that, you know, there's nothing you can do. It's unbelievable.
But I knew that there had to be a time where she would just let up a little
bit.
Q. You talked about nerves and pressure. Did you feel going into the
match that you were the one who had to win it? Did you feel favoured going
into the match?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Not really. I mean, I really didn't feel nerves in that
way. You know, I knew that she's a good player. You know, I knew that. You
know, I think she was very fresh for the finals.
It's not like I went in there thinking that I was supposed to win. You know,
I was just concentrating on the match and on my game, trying to think about
that.
Q. So the match itself gave you pressure, not the fact of going into it
saying, "This is my second Grand Slam. I won the first one, I have to win a
second one"?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Maybe that like passes your mind, passes my mind
somewhere. That wasn't the main thing. It was actually, like you said, the
pressure of her playing the match.
Q. You said that playing the first final is very tough. Are you amazed then
that Kim, playing her first final, was mentally so strong?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I mean, you don't get to the finals for nothing.
Obviously, you have to be mentally tough. And I think at that point I think
we were both tired, and it was going on so long. If you can stay in there
physically. Mentally, you've gotten so far, nothing is going to make you
give it up or lose it mentally.
So it was just sort of the feeling of the match, the momentum. It was just
really intense. So maybe just it being physically so tough, you know, didn't
matter mentally where you were at.
Q. For yourself, which one is the most difficult Grand Slam to win and
why, which surface?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Well, I haven't won every Grand Slam, so I don't know
which one is the most (smiling).
I mean, usually I like the faster surfaces. You know, this is tough,
especially for me, being on clay. You know, I don't know. We'll have to see
how it goes.
Q. I had the impression that you didn't follow your good forehand up to
the net in the third set. You ended up kind of in a nowhere position. Didn't
you trust your volleys today?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: You mean the last game?
Q. The last few games. There were several chances for you to come up to
the net. You just didn't go.
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I don't know. Maybe I should have. Maybe I shouldn't have.
But in a match like that, you're going on instinct and reaction a lot and
what's happening, how the opponent is getting your balls back.
You know, I can't really explain now what at that moment was going through
my head.
Q. Can you talk about dedicating this to Corina, when you decided you
would do that, if you won, and why?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I started thinking about it as I got close to being in
the finals here.
"Why" is because it's the most important thing, like I said in the speech,
that we have to think about right now. You know, it's sad that that's
happening to her. You know, it's the least you can do.
You know, I just wanted to show that my heart is with her. You know, because
we're all players. I knew her from the tour. It really hits home when
something like that happens.
Q. Have you had a chance to talk to her yet?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: No.
Q. You are halfway from the Grand Slam. Do you think it is feasible to
complete it in this year?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I think anything is visible (sic) right now. I didn't
maybe expect I would win my first or second in a row. Who knows what can
happen.
Q. In the last game you came to the net twice. You didn't do this during
the set. Why did you change your tactics?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Like that guy asked me before, I should have (laughter).
I should have come to the net more since it worked. I guess just being tired.
I wanted to close it out. At that point I was just willing to do anything. I
said to myself in that game, "Just go for it now." That's it, it worked. I
followed it in behind good shots. I just didn't come in on anything.
So I said I should have tried it before to myself, maybe it would have saved
some time.
Q. With your performance in Australia and your performance here, you've
been an inspiration to many, many people, and also your mom said that you
were an inspiration to her after she's gone through one setback after
another after another. Could you take a moment and reflect on what it is to
be an inspiration to so many people, what that means to you?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Well, of course, I'm not thinking of myself as like this
big inspiration. You know, I'm very flattered, I'm very happy that people
say that about me. I mean, if it helps them, you know, then it's amazing to
me. I hope that I can continue to do it.
My mom, well, without her, I wouldn't be here, so she's equally an
inspiration to me also. She's taught me how to come back from being down, to
just keep coming back. You know, it doesn't come from me; it comes also from
my parents, my dad and my mom, you know, the way they are. It's just part of
my character.
Q. She said that you have to dig deep within. How has she taught you to
come back?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: She's just always helped me to believe in myself. You
know, she's always loved me the same, no matter what. I mean, I've always
been really close with my mom. It's just a matter of that, knowing that deep
down they really care for me and love me no matter what. So that's given me
the strength, you know, the belief in my own self.
Q. After two Slams, obviously the hype and the attention is going to be
enormous, bigger than it's ever been. In your speech, just in general, you
seem quite comfortable with all the public attention, being in the public
eye. What's changed in the last year where you've really become much more
comfortable with that aspect of being a tennis star?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: The last year? Maybe not just the last year, but the last
few years it's kind of been happening. I think it's with maturity also,
getting older.
You know, all this is just my emotions talking, it's just my happiness
talking. I really don't have to think about it. I'm just reacting to the
moment.
Q. When people look at the bare statistics of the match that come out,
they see the number of unforced errors that are listed, 155 in this
circumstance, do you think they really misunderstand the fact that the
female players now, particularly the younger ones, are hitting the ball so
hard, are going for winners all the time, it's really going for winners that
makes most of the errors now?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: You mean the 155 as one or together?
Q. Together.
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Gee, I was going to say that was a long match (laughter).
Well, that's better.
I think that's just the way the women's game is now. I mean, if you're going
to go for it, go for your shots, you're not always going to make it. You're
going to make the errors also.
I think it's better to take the chance. That's the way the young players are
playing. They're being brought up to play like that. I think you have to
play like that, otherwise just the game's going to go on forever. There's no
points or anything. You have to be aggressive and end it.
Q. But what people think of as errors, really it's players trying to
finish a point basically. Sometimes the errors are obvious, but sometimes
they're just trying to close something out, and that's the only way to do
it.
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Most of the time that's the way it is. I mean, yeah, I
think they're unforced errors, but they're still forced because you're
trying to force the shot.
You know, I think most of the time it's like that. Of course, you're going
to have the stupid errors, "There wasn't any reason to miss that shot,"
whatever. It's sort of how the match is going. It depends. A lot of it's
mental.
Q. It was suggested that you started to really realize your potential in
the game when Martina moved down to Saddle Brook and you saw her on a daily
basis, you realized she was as good as she was, could even be better, and
she was No. 1. Is there any truth to that at all?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Well, yeah, hearing the mom say good things about me like
I should be in the Top 5 or whatever, you know (smiling).
No, I was believing in myself already before that. I didn't need her to come
along and kind of prove that to me. I knew that.
Maybe what helped is in the practices I'd do really well against her. You
know, we're both trying also in the practices, being the competitors that we
are. You know, that was starting to open my eyes up to that maybe, you know,
I could come back and play at the top level.
But really, I mean, we haven't practiced together for about a year now, so...
Q. What's the wildest thing you feel like you want to do right now?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Right now I'm tired. I just want to go and sleep right
now, just relax in the room.
After a few hours' rest, later on I'll probably be pretty wild, fun.
Q. What did Chris Evert tell you after the match? You had the opportunity
to talk to her about the match, as well?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Before the match, no. I just did an interview with her
the other day, but that's it, the only time I've talked to her. After, she
just said, "Congratulations," that she was just really proud of me and happy
to see that I won.
Q. What will you be expecting of yourself now at Wimbledon?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I'm not even thinking about it yet, Wimbledon. That's too
premature a question to ask right now.
I mean, I like the grass. I feel comfortable on the grass. I can't wait to
get on and play on it. But I'm just going to take some time now to rest,
regroup, freshen up, forget about this, go on to the next one.
Especially, you know, they're so close together. But hopefully, you know, I'll
be focused while I'm there, just on that, the task at hand.
Q. A lot of great champions have said, providing the fitness is there, if
you do well on the clay, it should help you on the grass.
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah, I mean, I think definitely the points are a lot
shorter. The stamina, you don't have to be there with the stamina. You have
to be there being quick. You know, it's still working on fitness, but in a
different way, I think.
But there's so many other factors on grass. You know, you have to return
well, you have to serve well. You know, we'll see how that goes. Volley.
Q. At match point, you were still elated, so relieved, you said it was
like being in a dream. I know it's hard, but what was going through your
mind? What did you mean that it was like a dream?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Just, you know, like a surreal feeling. I can't really
explain it. Just to be standing there, all the people clapping for me, just
being happy, I feel like genuine happiness from the people. I'm looking over
at my family, it was just an amazing feeling.
I mean, the past, whatever, like nothing went through my mind about that at
all. Didn't even think about it. It's like here and now, and that's it.
Q. Standing as the champion of Roland Garros, is that something that you
had visualized as a child or in the past?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah. Well, it was always like the US Open or Wimbledon,
you know. I never thought Roland Garros. Maybe I thought that would be the
hardest one or the last one for me to win or something, just because, you
know, being on clay.
But, I mean, I was having chills up there, just thinking about it.
Q. Which match do you consider your most difficult one this week,
Williams, Hingis, or the final?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I think the final (laughter). That's pretty obvious.
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