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Homecourt Advantage

Jennifer Capriati's exhibition match may be in her hometown, but it's a rare opportunity for the community to see her play.

[Times photo: Lance A. Rothstein] Jennifer Capriati, practicing at Saddlebrook in Pasco County, says she is amazed that her comeback story has been an inspiration to others.

By SHARON GINN
© St. Petersburg Times
published December 14, 2001

WESLEY CHAPEL -- She has long called the Tampa Bay area her home, but in many ways Jennifer Capriati remains as untouchable as any other international sports celebrity. Perhaps more so.

You're more likely to spot Martina Hingis at a Lightning game, or Dick Vitale at a Rays game, or even George Steinbrenner at a South Florida basketball game than see Capriati out in public, meeting fans or mixing with the locals. Most of her time is spent practicing and training within the gated Saddlebrook community, visiting with her mother in Palm Beach Gardens or hopping from one tennis tournament to the next.

Tonight, that changes -- however temporarily. Capriati, whose tennis comeback easily rates as one of the top sports stories of the year and as one of the more inspirational career revivals in recent memory, faces Anna Kournikova at the Ice Palace in a rare exhibition match.

In an even rarer interview with local media Thursday at Saddlebrook, Capriati, 25, took a few minutes after practice to talk about her two Grand Slam titles this season, her rise to No. 2 in the world rankings, and the impact her story has had on others.

"It's been a great year," said Capriati, who started out ranked No. 14 but won the Australian and French opens and briefly rose to No. 1 late in the season before being overtaken by Lindsay Davenport. "This is what I've been working toward. It's the kind of results I've wanted ever since I started playing tennis."

Her career in tatters after a widely publicized rebellious period that included a misdemeanor drug arrest in 1994, Capriati had tried several comebacks. But little went right until early last year, when she reached the semifinals of the Australian.

Even then, it took months to make more progress. But "things just got a lot easier as soon as I got in shape and worked hard," she said. "Mentally I finally kind of gave up on it, in a way where (I decided) it's just going to be like "go for it and do the best that I can,' and not put so much pressure on myself to come back and try to do something. When I let go, then everything started coming."

The tennis, the victories -- and the mail. Lots of it.

Capriati had little sense of the impact her return to tennis glory was making until she started to hear from people "from all aspects of life," she said. "Young, old, famous, not famous. It makes me feel good. There's a few stories that actually stand out, and I can't go into details, but it's the same thing with everyone -- how they've been inspired and how they haven't believed in themselves. But because of me, they actually made another try and made their life better.

"I'm very honored to hear that. It's like, "Me? I didn't know I could do that.' It's great. ... Every day, more and more, I think about it. I realize it."

The honors seem to be piling up as quickly as the mail. She recently was named sportswoman of the year by Sports Illustrated for Women and the March of Dimes. Upon accepting the latter award, Capriati appeared grateful but almost embarrassed given the mission of the organization, protesting that she was "just" a tennis player.

But the lesson in her story is clear to her father, Stefano, who has had his ups and downs with Capriati but now enjoys a happy relationship with her as a parent and coach.

"If she comes through, then anybody can come through," he said. "It's a question of the will and the desire and the love."

Life as a professional tennis player is insular, and Capriati seems to prefer it that way. Fitness, her game and her family come first. She admits to being a bit nervous about playing in front of her hometown crowd tonight.

"I'll just be more excited than anything," she said. "I want to give a good performance.

"There's not a lot of tennis that comes through this area. I'm giving them a chance to finally see it up close. I feel very comfortable here, and I've been living here for so long. I know I'll get the support. I've just been getting fan mail and (having) people recognize me around town and they're really nice, and now I'll get a chance to see it up close."

The heavily marketed Kournikova may have a more rabid fan base than Capriati, who keeps endorsements and appearances to a minimum. But the choice courtside seats that include a chance to meet Capriati sold as quickly as the ones to meet Kournikova -- within 30 minutes.

While she is grateful for the local interest, it's a good bet that after tonight, she'll head back to the shadows. Tennis, not public relations, is the priority. When asked whether the exhibition is a sign she might become more visible in the community, she responded that it would be fun to play a tournament locally.

Tennis is what got Capriati this far, and that is what she is sticking with. To navigate what her father calls "the jungle" at the top of women's tennis -- to beat the Williams sisters and Davenport and Hingis -- she said she has to keep her focus.

"It's definitely going to be a goal of mine, to try to regain that (No. 1) spot," she said. "But most importantly, it's just going to be a matter of coming back and starting the year well again, and taking it match by match. That's how I did well this year, just taking it one at a time and not looking ahead too much."

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