Serena Williams’ childhood coach Rick Macci has talked about a forgotten superstar of tennis who rocked the courts with her out-of-the-box performances. Jennifer Capriati , who won three Grand Slam titles. achieved the World No.1 ranking and defeated the likes of Martina Hingis, Steffi Graf, and Martina Navratilova, is not a familiar name to many.
However, Rick Macci fondly remembers the American as he claims her to be a perfect blend of Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer. Macci lauded the former American ace for her awareness of the tennis court.
Macci claimed that Capriati had that the way she hit the ball every single time from the center of the racket at the age of 12 was rare. The veteran coach then compared Capriati’s balance to Novak Djokovic and her ball-striking ability to Roger Federer. He also called her a smiling wizard.
At age 12 Nobody hit the ball in the center of the racquet every single time like the Jenerator Jennifer Capriati. Her Balance was like the Joker and her Ball Striking was like Fed. This smiling wizard knew the geometry of the Court like no other little kid that played the Sport. Rick Macci posted on X.
What happened to Jennifer Capriati who impressed Rick Macci?
Despite being such a phenomenal player why Jennifer Capriati’s name is not taken alongside the top players of the sport? Why is the American not seen in commentary booths or studios? All these questions might be common for the fans who are not too aware of Jennifer Capriati’s story.
Born in the United States, Capriati picked up the racket at a young age and it augured well for her. Jennifer Capriati climbed the ladder of success faster than anyone. She beat Martina Navratilova when she was only 15. While it was a phenomenal achievement for such a young girl, it got the best out of Capriati who failed to cope with expectations.
Such was the mental pressure that Capriati took a break from the sport in 1993. She was then apprehended for possessing marijuana. Although the American made a comeback despite all the controversies surrounding her, Capriati could not fulfill her potential.
Though she won three Grand Slam titles and achieved the No.1 ranking after the comeback, a series of injuries, back, hamstring, and shoulder, ended her career in 2004. She almost disappeared from the scene after that and only came back for her speech after getting inducted into the Tennis Hall of Fame.
But despite all these, controversies never left Capriati alone as she was charged with battery and stalking. The charges were dropped a year later but Jennifer Capriati remained a mystery for many.
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