Former American tennis star, Jennifer Capriati, was an immensely talented tennis player. While it takes years for many players to make a name for themselves, she got it early. She made her professional debut at the young age of 13. While the world was unaware of the American’s talent, Chris Evert knew she was special. In her early days, Capriati got her tennis training from Chris Evert’s father, Jimmy Evert.

Capriati also had a golden opportunity to face Evert on the court. Later, in an interview, Evert fondly recalls the memory of facing a 10-year-old Capriati and the power she had at that age.

When Chris Evert praised Jennifer Capriati

It was at the Holiday Park in Fort Lauderdale, where both Ever and Capriati learned their tennis basics. Chris Evert’s father was the first coach for Jennifer Capriati and when she was 10-year-old the American got an opportunity to impress tennis legend, Chris Evert. Recalling the time, Evert said, “By the time Jennifer was 10, I would hit with her on occasion and we would have good rallies.”

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She further added, “She would stroke the ball really well and go for the lines. She had very mature strokes and wouldn’t just hit balls back down the middle of the court like many kids. If I didn’t get on top of her right away she would move me around the court and put me through my paces. To be honest, I know that at 10 I didn’t hit the ball as hard as she did.”

Evert once lied about her father’s profession

As a five-year-old, Evert was present in a children’s show where she lied to the live audience. Recalling the incident later, the 18-time Grand Slam champion said that she did it under pressure. Evert recalled all the other kids present there saying things like my father is a doctor, a lawyer, and other popular professions. Her father present in the audience simply laughed at his daughter’s lie.

Evert who was embarrassed said her father was a painter. However, she claims it came out of nowhere and there’s no particular reason for doing that.

Watch this story: Chris Evert Looks Back at Her Astounding Rivalry With Martina Navratilova and the Negative Impact of Her 13-Match Losing Streak

Her dad, Jimmy Evert, back then had retired from professional tennis and was working as a tennis coach. If only Evert would have understood that time how popular her father was and not forget how popular she herself became later.