"I'm pretty much used to something going on there"- When Jennifer Capriati commented on Serena Williams' physical problems during Wimbledon QF
Jennifer Capriati once stated that she was used to something or the other happening whenever she took on Serena Williams. This comment was made after their quarterfinal match at Wimbledon 2001.
Williams entered the tournament seeded fifth and reached the last eight following straight-set wins over Rita Kuti-Kis, Barbara Rittner, Emmanuelle Gagliardi, and Magdalena Maleeva. Here, she was up against fourth seed Jennifer Capriati, who also hadn't dropped a single set at that point.
Serena Williams won the opening set 7-6(4) but her opponent bounced back to win the next two sets 7-5, 6-3, and booked her place in the semifinals. This was the first time Capriati reached the final four of the grass-court Major since 1991.
During the match, Williams had some physical problems as she often clutched her stomach and even called for a trainer during the second set.
Capriati was asked in her post-match press conference about how aware she was of her compatriot's problems. She responded by stating that she wasn't aware of Williams' situation until she took a bathroom break.
Capriati also claimed that she was used to something happening out there whenever Williams was her opponent.
"I had no idea until she took the bathroom break. Basically, I don't know, every time I play her, I'm pretty much used to something going on there. She usually takes the time, you know, before I serve. I mean, she's just kind of like a slow player in between. But I didn't think anything was wrong with her up until that point. I mean, I think she'd been playing well, so..," Jennifer Capriati said.
Capriati's journey at Wimbledon 2001 came to an end in the semifinals as she was beaten 2-6, 6-4, 6-2 by eventual runner-up Justine Henin.
Serena Williams and Jennifer Capriati squared off 17 times
Serena Williams and Jennifer Capriati faced one another 17 times, with the former leading 10-7 in the head-to-head.
Their first meeting came in Berlin in 1999 and Williams won 7-6(3), 6-3. She also came out on top in each of her meetings against her compatriot in finals. The two locked horns in seven Grand Slam matches, with Capriati winning four, while Williams triumphed in the other three.
The last match between Serena Williams and Jennifer Capriati came in the quarterfinals of the 2004 US Open, with the latter winning 2-6, 6-4, 6-4. This turned out to be her last appearance at a Grand Slam as she retired after the end of the season.