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by Christopher Gerby Less than a week after winning the first Grand Slam title of her career, Jennifer Capriati discussed the accomplishment in a February 1st conference call. The fairy tale ending of her transformation from wayward prodigy to 24-year-old champion was one of the most remarkable stories to hit the sport in quite some time. Capriati's win over Martina Hingis in the Australian Open final was the third highest watched tennis match in ESPN history, viewed live in an average of 1.685 million homes. The network has dubbed it an "Instant Classic" and will air it (along with Capriati's semifinal victory over Lindsay Davenport) on its ESPN Classic station. Even without the inherent drama of her particular story (great childhood success followed by a rebellion-fueled two-and-a-half year absence from tennis), Capriati's Australian Open run would be worthy of attention. She defeated the world's top two players in straight sets, a feat no woman had accomplished in a Grand Slam event since Tracy Austin at the 1979 US Open. And at # 12, Capriati was the lowest seed ever to win a major women's singles title. Understandably, it all hadn't quite sunk in yet for the Florida native as she fielded 25 minutes of questions. "It was an amazing feeling," Capriati said of her triumph in Melboune. "I can't even describe how happy I was...the whole two weeks was just fantastic." Asked how the win compares to her gold medal showing in the 1992 Olympic Games, Capriati was initially hesitant to choose, labeling them "equally big" and "completely different." However, Jennifer eventually concluded that "because it's fresh, this is the one." Not only was it the most significant win of her career, Capriati believes it was the best tennis she's ever played. However, Jennifer still describes herself as a shy, private person who would like to get through the fanfare with as much normalcy as possible. "I really haven't celebrated much. I'm just happy being home with my mom and seeing my dogs again." Capriati may have dropped off the tennis radar in the mid-90's, but she's quick to dispel the notion that she made an overnight comeback in Australia. "I've been back already for a while now," she insisted, noting the May '99 tournament in Strasbourg (where she defeated Elena Likhovtseva to win her first title in more than six years) as one of the turning points in a long, gradual process. Capriati attributed her subsequent success to "getting a clear perspective on things" and improving her fitness. Capriati's regimen included four sessions per day of tennis and fitness, with the latter comprised of weights, running, cycling, and even Tae-Bo. While trainer Karen Burnett has been one important figure in Capriati's efforts, she points to coach/father Stefano as another. "He's always been my coach," she said. Even while she was working with the likes of Harold Soloman (who was given the lion's share of credit for Jennifer's return to prominence in 1999), Stefano "was always there in the background as a guideline for my game. He's the only one who really knows my game... I feel really comfortable with him as my coach." It's hard to imagine what Capriati could do as an encore to her emotional win Down Under, but her upcoming itinerary includes tournaments in Oklahoma City, Miami, Amelia Island, and Charleston. "Indian Wells is off the list for now," Capriati confirmed, while leaving open the possibility that she could change her mind and take a late entry (as she did last year) into that hard court event. It's been a long, strange trip for Jennifer Capriati, but she says, "I wouldn't trade it. It is interesting and I've had a lot of opportunities that other people don't get." The sky seems to be the limit and she's eager to see "what this new confidence I have after winning this tournament will bring. Who knows what can happen?" |