PILOT PEN TENNIS

August 23, 2003

Jennifer Capriati

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yes, it sure does. Big monkey off my back now (smiling). You know, you don't want to win like that, obviously. You know, Lindsay was very gracious to me after and said, you know, that I still played great, nothing to take away from her injury. You know, I feel like I did really play well. I was playing well anyways to start off with.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Until she called the injury time-out, I didn't really know.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Well, I mean, you could tell she couldn't really serve, she couldn't move at all, so... There's no point to really try to push it like that, especially with a major coming up. But that's the only time I really noticed anything.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Well, no, just to keep getting asked about it, I mean, that's what I'm talking about (laughter).

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I don't have to answer it anymore (laughter).

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Well, I mean, of course it did. I mean, I'm a competitor. I want to win, of course. It would just bother me to be close and to not win, to not know really why. You know, I feel like now I'm playing a little bit like my old self. You know, whatever it is, whatever, you know, has changed, I mean, I think it's just been, you know, just my desire again has been really fired up. You know, just by being home, you know, maybe taking some time off, relaxing a little bit, mentally not stressing out about it. So that definitely helps me to play better.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah, in a while. It's one of the best weeks so far for this year, I would say for sure.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: No, it wasn't that. It was just, you know, some things threw me off, you know, I maybe had some losses there that I shouldn't have lost or I felt I shouldn't have lost. You know, there's a lot of hype and stuff going on. You know, I'm finding when it comes to that, really it's just not my thing. You know, so maybe the way I was dealing with it, you know, in my own way, it's not like I was playing bad. You know, it's not like I was having terrible results either. You know, it's just a combination of things and also opponents. I mean, you've got to consider the other players who are playing so much better, too.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Well, if I had played -- been able to play the other tournaments, I probably would have passed on playing this. But, you know, it worked out perfect. I really had no practice at all. You know, you can't go into The Open without playing a match for three weeks. I mean, it's too tough, especially during the US Open. You know, I'm just really happy that I was able to come and play injury-free - not only injury-free but also to play well and win. I mean, that was just what I was thinking beforehand, was just to at least, you know, go play some matches and see if I have any pain, you know, where I'm at in that regard. To come out with a win, it's just a big bonus.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Well, you know, because of the way I'm playing, you know, I feel confident now going in there. You know, but it's a Grand Slam. It's tough. It's two weeks. You know, I just have to take it match by match, not look ahead. You know, I can enjoy this now, but really, you know, after I leave here, it's, you know, forget about it. You know, it's off to New York and just concentrate on that.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Well, that would just be a real big thrill if I could win in New York. So, yeah, among other things (smiling).

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Well, I don't know. I didn't really like the wind. Maybe I would have liked the heat better, humidity (laughter). But, no, I dealt with it okay I think. Yeah, it was nice, a nice change. You know, physically, yeah, I definitely felt fine out there.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I just said that, you know, I hope she just gets better for The Open. You know, I'm sorry, I know how she feels because I know, you know, she's been struggling with this for a while. You know, just that kind of stuff.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: What do you mean? Rematch against Lindsay?

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Well, the only way we could meet is if we were in the finals.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I'd be pretty happy if I was in the finals, so (smiling). I don't care who I would play. I would just be happy I was there.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I don't know. 'Cause there's a lot more Americans, and Americans have more personality (laughter). I don't know. I don't know. It's just because we're girls and that's the way it is. We're women (smiling).

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: No, it was good. It was a little warm, but...

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Well, uhm, you know, it's good, but, you know, it can work against you a little bit, you know, if you're riding too high on the win, just really, you know, not concentrating. You think, "I've won, so I'm going to go in and, you know, it's just going to roll over into that." I mean, that's one of the things you have to be careful of. That's what I said, you know, just try to, you know, put this behind me as fast as I can. Yeah, I mean, still continue to play the same kind of tennis, but, you know, mentally I want to almost believe that I haven't won a tournament, you know, because that will make me just more hungry that way, you know, just kind of start over.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Not really. Because, you know, for me, if I was only losing to them, then maybe it would be something to talk about. You know, there's many other competitors that, you know, I have trouble against that are in The Open. You know, like I said before, it makes it open, a little more open, for sure. But that's the case when you don't have, you know, all the top players playing. But I still think it's just, you know, going to be one of the most difficult tournaments to win.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I think so. I think so. You know, we've seen some changes, you know, over the years from when we first started. I mean, I started before Lindsay anyways, though. You know, we've had a lot of experience. I think, you know, we just can respect each other and respect the game a little more because of that experience, because of what we've gone through.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Maybe (smiling). Got to play the game right, you know.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Well, I try to not eat anything like crazy, exotic or anything like that. You know, it's a risk getting food poisoning. No, I just try to get to bed early and get a good night's rest, you know, get a massage, some treatment. I've had some, you know, that's been with me all week that I think has helped me a lot. Just to keep healthy that way. Besides that, I mean, I'm really not into the ritual thing, you know, having any kind of superstitions or anything.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: You can't ask questions. You're a tournament director (laughter).