29 giugno 2001
Capriati D Panova 6-4, 6-4
Q. Would you agree that was perhaps not the best you played at this year's
Championships?
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.
Q. Is that kind of actually good for you to have a match like that, maybe a
wake-up call you have to stay focused to get through?
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.
Q. Is dealing with the weather, the surroundings, one of the major parts of
dealing with Wimbledon, getting through it?
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.
Q. Was your serve giving you great concern out there?
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.
Q. Why would that be?
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.
Q. How much does your mental state usually affect your game? Is it different
than it used to be?
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.
Q. Looking back, is there a point you can remember in your career where you
went through a stage that the mental part wasn't there in terms of your
concentration on court? How did it affect you when it wasn't there?
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.
Q.
Kind of as a follow-up, having won two Grand Slams, does that take you to a
whole new level of confidence that maybe makes it that much easier to get
past the rough spots?
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.
Q. Being older, is it in some ways harder being older because you know so
much? Sometimes you're happy-go-lucky as a kid. You don't realise how big
everything is, how important the moment is. In some ways is it harder being
older because of that?
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.
Q. How gratifying is it for you, considering all that you've been through,
that you can feel that you have the people behind you in the stands, that
you have the crowd in your favour?
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.
Q. Your dad told us that he feels that when he sees you smile now, it's from
the heart; that before, maybe it was just for the press. He feels that you're
at peace. Do you feel that you're at peace, no matter what happens here?
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.
Q. Would you like some nice, warm sunshine?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah. I thought it was too hot in the beginning, but I'll
take it back (laughter). I want it back.
Q. What does it mean to you to be walking out later today with Steven in the
mixed doubles, sort of his Wimbledon debut?
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.
Q. He was saying in Paris that you guys were working out a lot together in
the walk-up to the French Open, that you were really just kicking his butt
all over the place, conditioning drills. After 20 minutes, he'd be out. How
fun was that for you? Did you do the same thing leading into here?
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.
Q. You noticed that?
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.
Q. Did you do the same sort of walking up to this tournament or was it a
little bit different preparation?
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.
Q. Who wins when you play?
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.
Q. There's been so much attention to the mental and emotional recovery,
getting back to this stage of your game. How about the physical? Can you
describe the road back to playing top-rate tennis, the physical road back
for you?
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.
Q. Does that make the rewards of playing this type of tennis that much more
special, to know that you're appreciating the workouts to get there a little
bit more?
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.
Q. Talking about your match with Steven, getting him out here on the
Wimbledon courts. What is it like to love someone so much, but they're
probably not going to be out and win at Wimbledon, but you get --?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: What does it feel like?
Q. To finally get the chance to see him get to do that, knowing you have
your younger brother who you would love to send out to a Wimbledon singles match.
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.
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