‘It Wasn’t Fair to the Team’ – When Hall of Famer Billie Jean King Lashed Out at Jennifer Capriati for Her Lack of Adherence to the Rules
Follow Us
During her professional career, Jennifer Capriati won three Grand Slam titles and was widely considered the next Chris Evert. However, her career had many controversial on-court and off-court issues. Back in 2002, during her participation at the Fed Cup, she was kicked off from the tournament by the non-playing captain, Billie Jean King.
Notably, Capriati retired when she was just 28 years old because of a back injury. She played her last tournament in 2004, where she reached the US Open semi-finals for the fourth time in her career.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Jennifer Capriati’s Federation Cup controversy
The incident took place when the American player’s teammate made a complaint to the Federation Cup captain, Billie Jean King. After the three-time major winner refused to reschedule her private practice session with her father and coach, Stefano, King had to intervene.
Trending
‘Never Seen a Sport Self Sabotage Like This’- American Tennis Fans Disgruntled by Danielle Collins, Victoria Azarenka, and Others Not Finding a Streaming Slot
May 14, 2024 12:58 PM EDT
Italian Open: Aryna Sabalenka’s Crown Fails to Move Coco Gauff as She Comes Clean on Her Long Term Goals
May 14, 2024 05:27 AM EDT
Andy Roddick Uses Aryna Sabalenka’s Rock Bottom Phase to Console Coco Gauff Amid On-Court Struggles
May 14, 2024 08:23 PM EDT
Italian Open’s ‘Ridiculous’ Scheduling Infuriates Tennis Fans as Aryna Sabalenka Suffers From the Ludicrous Move
May 14, 2024 12:29 PM EDT
Roger Federer Adds a Rafael Nadal Twist to Vacation Spree With Wife Mirka and Kids as the Swiss Clan Touches Down in Spain
May 13, 2024 04:55 PM EDT
Get instantly notified of the hottest Tennis stories via Google! Click on Follow Us and Tap the Blue Star.
Follow Us
Her then-teammate, Monica Seles, was not happy with this incident. She even believed that “Jennifer should have approached the rest of the team if she wanted some help, but she didn’t. It was very unfair.”
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
King said that they both asserted their independence but didn’t adhere to the rules of the tournament. She added, “I stated the rules and they weren’t adhered to. It was a lot more than once and wasn’t fair to the team.” However, after kicking out Capriati from the team, the Americans fell short against Austria, and they didn’t have a good time in the tournament. Nevertheless, her father was a constant subject of controversies and was also accused of pushing her too hard sometimes.
Capriati’s father was accused of putting undue pressure on his daughter to succeed
The former world number one has faced a lot of criticism because of her father. Her father was not like any other normal father who loves sports or wants his daughter to succeed in the sporting world. Noted journalists like Ian O’Connor of USA Today accused Capriati’s father of using his daughter as “a pony-tailed ATM”.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
WATCH THIS STORY – Chris Evert Looks Back at Her Astounding Rivalry With Martina Navratilova and the Negative Impact of Her 13-Match Losing Streak
The former American star started playing professional tennis when she was just 13. Even her elimination in the Federation Cup in 2002 was due to her father’s stringent training regime, who was also her coach at the time.
Edited by:
Tony Thomas