"Under hypochondriac, they should put Serena Williams"- When the American commented on her physical problems after Wimbledon loss to Jennifer Capriati
Serena Williams lost to Jennifer Capriati in the quarterfinals of Wimbledon 2001, in a match where she felt physical problems.
Williams entered the tournament seeded fifth and reached the quarterfinals, where she was up against fourth-seeded Capriati, who had won the Australian Open and French Open earlier that year.
Serena Williams won the first set 7-6(4), but her opponent bounced back to win the next two sets 7-5 and 6-3 to book her place in the Wimbledon semifinals for the first time since 1991.
Speaking in her post-match press conference, Williams said that she had been struggling physically since her third-round clash against Emmanuelle Gagliardi.
"That's when I got this sickness. I haven't been able to really eat since. I haven't been right since. It was just, ugh, going on emotion," the American said.
Williams claimed that she visited the doctor, who diagnosed her problem as a viral infection related to gas.
"Yeah, I went to the doctor twice. It was gas , I don't know, gastromunical (phonetic) virus, viral infection. I think maybe I've had it for a while, and it's just come to its apex now maybe," she said.
The defeat was Williams' fourth in a row against Capriati, and she was asked if any problems against her compatriot were getting to her head. The then-teenager responded by claiming that her only problem was that she was a hypochondriac.
"I don't have any problems. I just think my problem I'm a hypochondriac, that's it," she said.
Williams was asked to give her definition of a hypochondriac, and she claimed that her name should be put under the word.
"Someone that is always, that is prone to get sick, prone to get hurt and injured, more prone than the next individual. That's me. That's Serena Williams. Under hypochondriac, they should put "Serena Williams," the American said.
Serena Williams and Jennifer Capriati had a fiercely-contested rivalry
Serena Williams and Jennifer Capriati had a fierce rivalry in terms of the level of competition their matches produced. The two locked horns 17 times, and 12 of those matches went to three sets. Williams leads 10-7 in the head-to-head against Capriati.
The very first meeting between the two came in the second round of the 1999 German Open, with Williams winning 7-6(3), 6-3. They squared off in four finals, and Serena Williams came out on top every time.
The two Americans faced each other in seven Grand Slam matches, and the 23-time Grand Slam champion won four while Capriati triumphed in three. Their last meeting came in the quarterfinals of the 2004 US Open, with Capriati winning 2-6, 6-4, 6-4.