Capriati elected to International Tennis Hall of Fame

Written by: Staff on 16th April 2012

Capriati elected to International Tennis Hall of Fame |

American tennis star and former world No. 1 Jennifer Capriati has been elected to the International Tennis Hall of Fame. Capriati’s successful career featured an Olympic gold medal, three Grand Slam titles, and a Fed Cup title. Capriati first broke into the world Top 10 in 1990, her first season on tour, and in October 2001, she topped the rankings for the first time, a position she held for a total of 18 weeks.

“I am thrilled to learn that I have been elected to the International Tennis Hall of Fame. This is a dream come true and an extraordinary tribute. I love this game and am incredibly honoured by the Hall of Fame’s vote. Tennis has been my passion and dedication for my entire life, and to be acknowledged for this passion and dedication is truly icing on the cake,” said Capriati.

“Finally, to all of my fans: You mean so much to me. I am, and have always been, blessed beyond words by your support both during and after my playing days. You unquestionably made this game so memorable for me and I miss you all so much. I can’t wait to go to Newport to express my sincere appreciation to my fans, and celebrate with them, my family, my coaches, and everyone else in the tennis community. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart. I truly feel humbled to be a part of history and am honoured to be considered among the greatest of all time.”

Capriati has been elected to the Hall of Fame in the Recent Player Category, and she is the final member of the Hall of Fame Class of 2012 to be announced. The previously announced members of the Class of 2012 are former world No. 1, Brazilian tennis star Guga Kuerten; Spanish tennis legend Manuel Orantes; tennis administrator and promoter Mike Davies; and wheelchair tennis star Randy Snow, who will be honoured posthumously. The Class of 2012 Induction Ceremony will be held on 14 July 2012 at the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island.

“Jennifer Capriati had one of the most accomplished and exciting tennis careers in recent years, and she is most deserving of the Hall of Fame election. We look forward to celebrating this achievement with her and her fans,” said Christopher E. Clouser, chairman of the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

In her first season on the WTA Tour in 1990, Capriati reached the finals of two of her first three professional events, losing to Gabriela Sabatini and Martina Navratilova, and she advanced to the semifinals of Roland Garros before falling to eventual champion Monica Seles. She also captured her first career title in her first season on tour, defeating Zina Garrison at Puerto Rico.

In 1992, Capriati won the Olympic gold medal at Barcelona, defeating both the second-seeded Arantxa Sánchez-Vicario and the top-seeded Steffi Graf. She was a member of the victorious United States Fed Cup team in 2000.

At the Australian Open in 2001, Capriati defeated top seed and world No. 1 Martina Hingis in straight sets to win her first Grand Slam title. Having entered the tournament seeded No. 12, she was the lowest seed to ever win the title, a record that still stands today. She then entered the French Open seeded No. 4, and defeated No.1 seed Hingis in the semifinals and Kim Clijsters in the final to win her second consecutive Grand Slam title. She was the only player that year to reach at least the semifinals of all four of the Grand Slam tournaments.

In 2002, Capriati advanced to her second consecutive Australian Open final, this time as No. 1 seed. Once again facing Hingis, Capriati fought back from 64 40 down and saved four championship points, in brutally hot weather, to eventually prevail 46 76(7) 62 to claim her third Grand Slam title. The match was widely regarded as one of the greatest comebacks in tennis history, and it was named one of the ten best matches of the decade by Tennis magazine.

Capriati stopped playing at the end of the 2004 season, having compiled a career record of 430-176 and having won 14 career singles titles and 1 doubles title.