The fairytale hits a snag

Jennifer Capriati. The name exudes grit and determination. Everyone knows her story of decline, and she has become a sentimental favorite among many tennis fans worldwide. Capriati has shown that hard work does pay off, coming back from the dark side to earn a spot in the Top 5 and capture two Grand Slam singles titles. The fact that Capriati did not win Wimbledon does not take away from her accomplishments, both on court and off.

Of course there is disappointment in losing to Belgian teenager Justine Henin in the semifinals at Wimbledon, but you can't have your best "A" game every day, and she was just plain outplayed. What Capriati has done is reach No. 4 in the world and captured both the Australian Open and French Open in 2001. Along the way, she has defeated Monica Seles, Lindsay Davenport, Martina Hingis and Serena Williams.

All along, Capriati has avoided putting pressure on herself, taking one match at a time and refusing to acknowledge her possible place in tennis history. For anybody else, reaching the semifinal in a Grand Slam event would be a huge accomplishment, let alone winning one. Looking at past results, Capriati had not advanced beyond the fourth round in the last three years, and didn't play the two years before that, so reaching the semis in 2001 was a positive step in her resurgent career.

All credit to the Capriati family in this wonderful fairytale. Family has been an important factor in Capriati's success these past few years. She is now back with her father, Stefano, as coach, and works out with brother Steven on a regular basis. After winning the French Open, Capriati acknowledged her mother Denise as a major influence in her life, who's inspiration has given her the strength to believe in herself.

Through it all, Capriati doesn't take herself too seriously. She has the confidence of a Grand Slam champion, but makes sure she achieves life balance. She even knows how to have fun on the tennis court. While charging into the semifinals at Wimbledon, Capriati took time out to play mixed doubles with brother Steven. Unfortunately, they ran up against an accomplished doubles team and lost in the first round, but it was nice to see the Capriati siblings having fun on court.

There's no doubt that Capriati will continue her domination at the top of women's tennis. The fact that she didn't win Wimbledon in 2001 does not constitute a major career failure, more like just a bump in the road. She competed well during the fortnight, coming back from deficit on more than one occasion, though unable to do so at the end. Tennis fans can look forward to the summer hardcourt season leading up to the U.S. Open, where Capriati will be back home on firm ground blasting away from the baseline.