02 luglio 2002
Capriati D Daniilidou 6-1, 3-6, 6-1
Q. Were you glad to have that rain and sit overnight and think about things, or
would you have done this anyway?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: It's hard to say. In a way, I'm happy about it. I mean,
it's tough to always come back after a rain delay, especially if it takes a
day, and to start off like that. You have to be really ready to come out
right from the first ball. But it probably was helpful because, I mean, the
player today and the player yesterday was completely different. I mean, in
that second set, she was playing pretty unbelievable. You know, it would
have been very tough to beat her, I think, if we would have kept playing. I
really came out strong today.
Q. What did you think was wrong with your second set yesterday?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: The only thing wrong with it was that she was playing
some pretty great shots and some pretty good tennis - besides the weather.
Q.
Did it frustrate you that you weren't on first today and had to wait?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Well, I know they never start out the matches first.
There's always a match before. I mean, I was a little disappointed to see a
whole entire men's match be scheduled on before me. I mean, I'm just happy
that, you know, things turned out the way they did.
Q. Regarding Xavier's terrific breakthrough here, when you guys were such
close friends, you both really didn't play very well. Were you just guys so
in love you couldn't play tennis and you needed the break to become terrific
players?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I'm not really going to comment on it. It's something of
the past. All I'm going to say is that it's nice to see him doing well.
Q. What is the plan for Wimbledon in the next couple matches, stepping up
your grass court game to another level so you can beat a Venus or a Serena?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Well, I think I'm playing pretty well at the moment. It's
tough to kind of see where you're at. Especially, you know, with these
conditions, you know, the tennis can get a little bit ugly. You're not
really -- I mean, the first week, I thought I was really playing well. I
mean, the weather was great, conditions were great. So it's tough to really
see where you're at when it gets like this, but I still have one more match
tomorrow, I think I play tomorrow, before I would meet whoever. If I can
just keep playing the way I'm playing - consistent and being aggressive at
the right time - I think I'm feeling more comfortable on the grass. You know,
just as you really get used to the grass, the tournament's over. I think I'm
close to that point. I'm serving well. I keep firing my shots, even when I'm
under pressure. Today was a good test for me to really see, you know, how I
was playing - especially under pressure.
Q.
And you seem pretty comfortable now closing at net. Hit some good volleys
today on big points. Are you going to try to do more of that or is that
still naturally not the kind of player you are, to come in and shorten the
points, close it out like that?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Naturally, I don't think I'll ever be like that. But I
still think I have pretty good instinct up there, and shy definitely work on
it more. And I have been working on it more. I think I did better in the
first week, you know, against players where maybe it's an easier match, and
that's the time to work on it, to get some confidence. So I definitely
proved to myself that I can do that. But on a really big point, I would stay
back at the baseline. I definitely think I can mix it up.
Q. A while ago you talked briefly about the details of match preparation.
You said getting into the training room, eating right, sleeping right was
all important. Is there any one of those that's particularly hard for you or
one that you think is the most important?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Gosh, they're all pretty important. My sleep is the most
important thing. If I'm not rested, I definitely can get a bit cranky. I
mean, it all goes hand-in-hand. But definitely the sleep part. And
physically, making sure that I'm feeling well physically, you know, as far
as injuries or tightness or fatigue in the muscles. I mean, that's very
important for me.
Q. How do you feel about the tour's possibility of starting random off-site
drug testing?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Oh, I didn't hear anything about that. Random off-site?
Q. Yes.
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Well, it's news to me. I don't know. I mean, I think
that's a bit of an invasion. You know, so, I don't know. Something to think
about. I don't know if they're really going to go through with that or not.
I guess we'll have to see.
Q. Why do you think it's an invasion?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Well, I just don't think they have any right to kind of
see what's going on inside your body, whatever, even if you're not doing
anything. It's just I've never heard of anything to be concerned about
anyways, if anyone for steroids are getting tested for that or getting
caught with that. I don't see really what the point would be.
Q. Do you have a sense of how widespread the use of steroids is?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: No. You mean, like in all sports?
Q. On the tour.
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I have no idea.
Q. Do you think anybody uses steroids?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: No.
Q. There's three guys on the ATP Tour who were caught for performance
enhancement.
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Well, the guys is another story.
Q. You think with the women it would be something completely different,
where using performance enhancing drugs would really never be tempting or
necessary or what?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I mean maybe, but it's never happened. Maybe if there is
a real question or someone was in question, then I could see the point. But
until then, no, I don't think that's something you have to get started, you
know, kind of dive into that. It's a whole other issue.
Q. Can I ask you about the prospect of image in sports today. As someone who
has been in the sport so long, you've had so many different images, from the
cute kid all the way up. What do you think your image is now and do you
worry about things like that? What should your image be?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I don't worry about my image. I'm just myself, and I try
to be myself, because what I've learned is no matter how you try to be,
people of the press and everyone else is going to, you know, interpret it
the way they want anyways, regardless - no matter what you say or what you
do. I've learned just to be myself. I mean, what's going to be written,
what's going to be thought is going to be thought anyways, so... My image is
just to try to be myself.
Q. How about the image of the tour, the idea that as other players approach
the point of their career that you're approaching, they begin to think more
about tennis as a whole, that's good for the sport, how the sport should be
marketing itself. I know you've had some thoughts along the way. Are you
approaching that sense where you have the confidence to speak as something
of an elder stateswoman and try to guide the tour in a direction that you
think is a positive direction? Have you taken a leadership role on those
kind of things?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Sure. I mean, maybe there's even a possibility I'll be on
the players council.
Q. Would you be interested in that kind of thing?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah, that's a possibility. I mean, it depends on how
much time it would take. It's very difficult. I'm sure it can't be that bad.
You know, constantly I think players are getting involved more and more, and
the tour is more interested in what the players think.
Q. I mean, what would you tell them to do if you were on the council?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Well, I mean, there's so many things. I mean, first, I
don't really even know the dynamics of how everything works, so I'd have to
get informed and I'd have to get taught about all that, and then just see,
put my two cents in.
Q. Are you happy with the way the tour is going? You guys have had almost
unprecedented success in terms of personalities on the tour, your story
being one of them, but the Williamses . It's been a great time for women's
tennis. Yet in things like US television presence, title sponsor, there's
still been some catching up to do during this great period of women's
tennis. Is it worrisome or do the players and you in particular have an idea
of the way things should be going?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah, we talk about it. But it's important -- it's not
enough just one voice, even if it was just me or let's say Venus, it's not
enough to really do something or make changes. You know, all the players got
to stick together and really say, "We want it this way or that way," then
things will get done. Because, without players, there's no tour, so... You
know, that's definitely an interesting topic to think about. We'll see. You
know, really right now I want to focus on playing and the tournaments coming
up, and we'll see closer to maybe when the season ends.
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