Jennifer Capriati facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Jennifer Capriati

Capriati at the 2004 Wimbledon Championships
Full name	Jennifer Maria Capriati
Country (sports)	United States
Residence	Wesley Chapel, Florida, U.S.
Born	(1976-03-29) March 29, 1976 (age 49) New York City, U.S.
Height	5 ft 7 in (1.70 m)
Turned pro	March 1990
Retired	2004
Plays	Right-handed (two-handed backhand)
Prize money	US$ 10,206,639
Int. Tennis HoF	2012 (member page)
Singles
Career record	430–176
Career titles	14
Highest ranking	No. 1 (October 15, 2001)
Grand Slam singles results
Australian Open	W (2001, 2002)
French Open	W (2001)
Wimbledon	SF (1991, 2001)
US Open	SF (1991, 2001, 2003, 2004)
Other tournaments
Tour Finals	SF (2002, 2003)
Olympic Games	W (1992)
Doubles
Career record	66–50
Career titles	1
Highest ranking	No. 28 (March 2, 1992)
Grand Slam doubles results
Australian Open	3R (2000)
French Open	3R (2000, 2001)
Wimbledon	3R (1991, 2000)
US Open	QF (2001)
Medal record Women's tennis Representing the  United States Olympic Games Gold 1992 Barcelona Singles

Jennifer Maria Capriati (born March 29, 1976) is an American former tennis superstar. She was once ranked the world's number one player. Jennifer is part of the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

She won three major Grand Slam titles in singles. She also earned a gold medal at the 1992 Summer Olympics.

Capriati started her career very young, setting many "youngest ever" records. She became a professional player in 1990 when she was just 13 years old. In her first tournament in Boca Raton, Florida, she made it all the way to the final match. She also reached the semifinals of the French Open in her first try. By October of that year, at 14 years and 235 days old, she became the youngest player ever to reach the top 10 in the world rankings.

After a match at the 1993 US Open, she took a break from playing professional tennis for 14 months. She returned to the sport in 1996. In 1998, she won her first major singles match at Wimbledon in five years. Over the next two years, she slowly got back to her championship form. She won her first title in six years in Strasbourg in 1999 and got back into the top 20 players.

At the 2001 Australian Open, Jennifer Capriati, who was not a top-ranked player at the time, surprised everyone. She defeated Martina Hingis to win her first Grand Slam championship. That same year, she also won the French Open. In October, she became the world's number one player. She successfully defended her Australian Open title in 2002. She remained a top-10 player until injuries stopped her career in 2004. Throughout her career, she won 14 professional singles tournaments and one women's doubles championship.

Jennifer Capriati's Tennis Journey

Early Career: Setting New Records (1990-1991)

Jennifer Capriati showed her talent early on. She won the Junior Orange Bowl twice, in both the 12-year and 14-year age groups. She is one of only nine tennis players to win this championship twice in its 70-year history. Other famous players like Andy Murray and Monica Seles are also on this list.

Capriati became a professional player at just 13 years old. She reached the finals in two of her first three pro events. She played against famous players like Gabriela Sabatini and Martina Navratilova. She also earned her first wins against top-10 players, including Helena Suková and Arantxa Sánchez Vicario. In April, she entered the world rankings at number 23.

Jennifer made her first Grand Slam appearance at the French Open. She played incredibly well, reaching the semifinals before losing to the eventual champion, Monica Seles. She then reached the fourth round at Wimbledon, where she lost to Steffi Graf. Later that year, Capriati won her first career title in Puerto Rico, defeating Zina Garrison. After this win, she entered the world's top 10. She finished her first professional season ranked number 8 in the world.

During this time, Capriati set many "youngest ever" records. She was the youngest player to reach a tour final and the youngest to reach the French Open semifinals. She was also the youngest player to be seeded at Wimbledon and the youngest to qualify for the year-end championships. She was the fourth-youngest player to win a WTA title.

In her second year as a pro, Capriati became a consistent top-10 player. She won two singles titles during the summer hard court season. She defeated the world's number one player, Monica Seles, in San Diego. She also beat Katerina Maleeva in Toronto. She reached the semifinals at two Grand Slams: Wimbledon and the US Open.

At Wimbledon, 15-year-old Capriati surprised everyone by beating nine-time champion Martina Navratilova in the quarterfinals. She became the youngest person ever to reach the semifinals of that tournament. At the US Open, she reached the semifinals again. She finished the year ranked number 6, which was her highest ranking until 2001.

Capriati also won her only doubles title at the Italian Open, playing with Monica Seles.

Olympic Gold and Continued Success (1992-1993)

Capriati's 1992 season was highlighted by her amazing victory at the Summer Olympics. She defeated second-seeded Arantxa Sánchez Vicario in the semifinals. Then, she came back from being down a set to beat top-seeded Steffi Graf in the gold-medal match.

Capriati then defended her title in San Diego, beating Conchita Martínez in the final. This was the only time she won two singles titles in a row during her career. She reached the quarterfinals at the Australian Open (in her first time playing there), the French Open, and Wimbledon. In Miami, Capriati ended Monica Seles's streak of 21 straight finals by beating her in the quarterfinals. Capriati finished the year in the top 10 for the third year in a row, at number 7. She also became the youngest player to earn over $1 million in prize money. In 1992, a video game called Jennifer Capriati Tennis was released for the Sega Genesis.

At her first tournament in 1993, Capriati won in Sydney. She beat third-ranked Sabatini in the semifinals and Anke Huber in the final. For the second year in a row, she reached the quarterfinals at the first three major tournaments. She also reached the final of the Rogers Cup in Montreal, losing to Steffi Graf. At the US Open, Capriati lost her first match, which was her first time losing in the first round of any pro tournament. After this loss, Capriati decided to take a break from tennis. She finished the year ranked ninth.

Taking a Break from Tennis (1994-1995)

Capriati played only one match in 1994, losing in the first round in Philadelphia. She did not play at all in 1995. Her ranking dropped during this time.

Her Big Return to the Court (1996)

Capriati returned to tennis in 1996 after 15 months away. She was unranked but reached the quarterfinals in Essen. She then reached her first final in over three years in Chicago, where she beat Monica Seles. She also reached the quarterfinals at the Zurich Open, defeating Sabatini in what would be Sabatini's last singles match. Capriati played in her first Grand Slam tournaments since 1993 at the French Open and the US Open. She reappeared on the rankings at number 103 in April and finished the year inside the top 25, at number 24.

Working Her Way Back Up (1997-1998)

In January 1997, Capriati reached the final in Sydney for the second time. She beat world number 9, Lindsay Davenport, but lost to Martina Hingis in the final. She only reached the quarterfinals at one other tournament that year. Capriati finished 1997 ranked number 66.

Capriati did not play during the first half of 1998. By spring, her ranking was below the top 200. She received a special entry into a tournament in Hamburg, Germany, where she reached the quarterfinals. She was also a quarterfinalist in Palermo, Italy. At Wimbledon, Capriati won her first Grand Slam singles match in five years. She finished 1998 ranked 101.

Rising to the Top Again (1999-2000)

1999 was one of Capriati's best seasons in several years. She won her first title in six years at Strasbourg. She defeated ninth-ranked Nathalie Tauziat and then beat Russian Elena Likhovtseva in the final. She won her second title of the year in Quebec City, defeating American Chanda Rubin. She also reached the round of 16 at both Roland Garros and the US Open. She finished the year ranked number 23.

At the 2000 Australian Open, Capriati reached her first Grand Slam semifinal in nine years. She lost to the eventual champion, Lindsay Davenport. At the Miami Masters, Capriati defeated world number 6, Serena Williams. This was her first win over a top-six player in four years. Shortly after, Capriati had to take time off due to injuries.

Capriati had a strong fall season. She won her ninth career title in Luxembourg, defeating Magdalena Maleeva. She also finished second in Quebec City and was a semifinalist in Zürich. These results helped Capriati get back into the top 20 for the first time since April 1994. She qualified for the season-ending championships for the first time in seven years. Her year-end ranking was 14, her highest in seven years. Capriati was also part of the United States Fed Cup team, helping the U.S. win against Spain in the final.

Grand Slam Champion and World Number 1 (2001)

Capriati was seeded 12th at the Australian Open. She came back from being down a set to defeat Monica Seles and reach the semifinals. She then beat world number 2 Davenport. In her first Grand Slam final, she defeated top seed and world number 1, Martina Hingis, to win her first Grand Slam singles title. She was the lowest-seeded player ever to win the title. After this win, Capriati re-entered the top 10 rankings at number 7.

Capriati then reached the finals in Oklahoma City, losing to Seles. She also reached the final in Miami, losing to Venus Williams.

Capriati then had a very successful clay court season. She won her second title of the year at the Family Circle Cup in Charleston, South Carolina, defeating Hingis in the final. She then lost in the final in Berlin to Amélie Mauresmo. Seeded fourth at the French Open, Capriati defeated top seed Hingis in the semifinals. She then beat 12th-seeded Kim Clijsters in the final to win her second Grand Slam title in a row. Her win over Clijsters had the longest third set ever in a women's French Open final. She was only the fifth woman in history to win the Australian Open and French Open consecutively.

At Wimbledon, Capriati came back from a tough situation in the quarterfinals to defeat Serena Williams. Capriati's streak of 19 Grand Slam match wins ended in the semifinals when she lost to Justine Henin. Capriati bounced back at the Rogers Cup in Toronto, reaching the final before losing to Serena Williams. Capriati then lost in the semifinals of the US Open to Venus Williams. Despite this loss, Capriati had the best Grand Slam record of 2001. She was the only player to reach at least the semifinals of all four Grand Slam tournaments.

Even though she played very little in the fall, Capriati became the world's number one player on October 15. She finished the year ranked number 2, behind Lindsay Davenport, with a record of 56 wins and 14 losses.

Third Grand Slam Title (2002)

Because Lindsay Davenport withdrew from the Australian Open due to an injury, Capriati was the top seed. She defeated sixth-seeded Amélie Mauresmo and fourth-seeded Kim Clijsters to reach her second straight final there. She faced Martina Hingis again. The match was played in very hot weather. Capriati fought back from being down in the score and saved four championship points to win the match. This was Capriati's third and final Grand Slam title.

In the spring, Capriati reached finals in Scottsdale and Miami, losing to Serena Williams both times. Capriati prepared for her French Open title defense by playing in events in Charleston, Berlin, and Rome, reaching the semifinals in all three. As the top seed at the French Open, Capriati reached the semifinals before losing to the eventual champion Serena Williams. Capriati lost her number 1 ranking to Venus Williams after this loss. Capriati's streak of six consecutive Grand Slam semifinals ended at Wimbledon, where she lost to Amélie Mauresmo in the quarterfinals. She also lost to Mauresmo in the finals of the Canadian Open and in the quarterfinals of the US Open.

Capriati won only one match in the three European indoor events she played. She then reached the semifinals of the year-ending championships for the first time, losing to Serena Williams. Capriati finished the year ranked third.

New Haven Champion (2003)

A week after the 2002 WTA Championships, Capriati had eye surgery to remove sun spots from both eyes. Recovering from the surgery affected her training for the new season.

In the first round of the 2003 Australian Open, Capriati lost to Marlene Weingärtner. Capriati was the first Australian Open champion to lose in the first round the following year. She withdrew from the Pan Pacific Open to continue her recovery.

Capriati bounced back by reaching at least the semifinals of her next five tournaments. She lost to Lindsay Davenport in the semifinals of the Indian Wells tournament. She then reached the final of the Miami Open for the third year in a row, losing to world number 1, Serena Williams. Capriati lost in the round of 16 of the French Open to Nadia Petrova. She reached the quarterfinals of Wimbledon for the sixth time, losing to Serena Williams.

Capriati then reached her second final of 2003 in Stanford, losing to Kim Clijsters. An injury forced Capriati to stop playing in San Diego and pull out of Montreal. Capriati won her first title of 2003 in New Haven after Davenport retired in the final. This ended a 28-tournament title drought for Capriati and was her first win since the 2002 Australian Open. Seeded sixth at the US Open, Capriati reached the semifinal where she lost to second-seeded Justine Henin in a very close match.

Capriati did not play again until the WTA Tour Championships, where she lost in the semifinal to Justine Henin again, who was now the world number 1.

Final Full Season (2004)

Injuries affected Capriati's 2004 season. A back injury forced her to withdraw from the 2004 Australian Open and other tournaments. Capriati only advanced beyond the quarterfinals once in her first four events of the year. Her back continued to be a problem, forcing her out of more tournaments. Her ranking dropped to number 10 because of her injuries.

Capriati had her best results of the year during the European clay-court season. She reached the semifinals in Berlin, defeating world number 5 Myskina. At the Italian Open, Capriati defeated top seed Serena Williams in the quarterfinals. This was her first win over Serena since Wimbledon 2001. Capriati went on to the final, where she lost to Mauresmo in a long match. Seeded seventh at the French Open, Capriati reached the semifinals before losing to sixth-seeded and eventual champion Myskina.

At Wimbledon, Capriati reached the quarterfinals for the fourth year in a row, where she lost to Serena Williams. A hamstring injury forced her to withdraw from some tournaments, but she reached the quarterfinals of both Montreal and New Haven. Seeded eighth at the US Open, Capriati defeated Williams in a controversial match to reach her fourth US Open semifinal. She then lost to fifth seed Elena Dementieva in another very close semifinal.

Capriati reached the semifinals of the US Open four times in her career (1991, 2001, 2003, and 2004). She lost to a different opponent each time.

Following the US Open, Capriati lost in the quarterfinals in Philadelphia. Capriati failed to qualify for the season-ending championships for the first time since 1999 and finished the year ranked World No. 10.

How Jennifer Capriati Played Tennis

Capriati was one of the first "power players" in women's tennis in the early to mid-1990s. Other power players included Monica Seles, Lindsay Davenport, and Mary Pierce. Her playing style involved hitting the ball early and with great force. She used powerful groundstrokes and was very aggressive when returning serves.

Capriati's game was built around her strong groundstrokes and how well she moved around the court. Her flat forehand, which was very powerful when hit hard, was considered her best weapon. She also had a strong backhand. She was quick on the court, able to play both defense and offense. Her serve was sometimes considered her weakest point. However, Capriati was known for her excellent return of serve, which helped make up for any inconsistent serves.

Equipment and Endorsements

In the 1990s, Jennifer Capriati signed a big contract with Diadora for her clothing. She also had a contract with Prince tennis rackets.

In the early 2000s, Capriati's on-court clothing was made by Fila. She used a Prince Precision Retro 27 Midplus racket.

Jennifer Capriati's Legacy

Jennifer Capriati was welcomed into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2012 when she was just 36 years old. She is often seen as one of the greatest tennis players of all time. A video game called Jennifer Capriati Tennis was released for the Sega Genesis in 1992.

Life After Tennis

In April 2009, it was announced that Capriati would appear on the TV show The Superstars. This show was a new version of a 1970s series. It started on June 23, 2009, and featured male and female athletes teamed up. Capriati was paired with singer and actor David Charvet. In the first episode, they were one of the lower-performing teams but won a race to avoid being eliminated. She later had to leave the show because an old injury flared up.

Personal Life

Jennifer Capriati was born in New York City. Her parents are Denise and Stefano Capriati, and they are of Italian descent.

Major Tournament Finals

Grand Slam Tournament Wins: 3 Titles

Outcome	Year	Tournament	Surface	Opponent	Score
Winner	2001	Australian Open	Hard	Martina Hingis	6–4, 6–3
Winner	2001	French Open	Clay	Kim Clijsters	1–6, 6–4, 12–10
Winner	2002	Australian Open (2)	Hard	Martina Hingis	4–6, 7–6(9–7), 6–2

Olympic Games: 1 Gold Medal

Outcome	Year	Tournament	Surface	Opponent	Score
Gold	1992	Barcelona Olympics	Clay	Steffi Graf	3–6, 6–3, 6–4

Grand Slam Singles Performance Timeline

See also

In Spanish: Jennifer Capriati para niños