‘They Messed Up a Lot’ – Venus and Serena Williams’ Father Richard Once Made a Bold Statement on How Money Destroyed Jennifer Capriati’s Career

Jennifer Capriati, despite harboring immense talent, fought with various elements to create a name among the other tennis legends of her time. She faced a lot of ups and down in her tennis career. The tennis star reached her first semi-final at just 14 and introduced herself as a potential world beater. But after a few years, things didn’t go the way everyone envisioned.

Just like Serena and Venus Williams’ father, the American star’s father was also behind her tennis journey. However, earning a lot of money as a young athlete turned Capriati and the ones closest to her in another direction. Richard Williams, in 1997, opened up about how money messed up Capriati’s career, and he didn’t want it happen to with his daughters.

Serena’s father on learning from the career of Jennifer Capriati

Getting endorsements at a young age was common for a tennis player. As soon as a player steps into the professional tour and makes a mark, they start getting sponsors. But it also builds up the pressure that comes with the huge expectations. There was a time when Williams’ father turned down the sponsors who wanted his daughters to represent them.

In 1997, Richard was quoted by the New York Times, stating, too much money can “mess up” his daughters who were trying hard to make a name for themselves in the sport. Talking about how money can ruin a player’s career, he said, “We have the perfect example in Jennifer Capriati. They messed up a lot.” At that time, the American tennis player was struggling with substance problem and was trying hard to get out of the situation.

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Further, he talked about how people pointed at Jennifer’s father for letting his daughter turn pro at the age of 14. He said, “They said Jennifer’s father was a fool.” But Williams disagreed with this and stated that the problem started way after she turned pro. He added, “She was a great kid at 14. At 15, she lost her smile, At 16, there were problems. What happened? I want to make sure that doesn’t happen to my kids.” Citing her example, the tennis star’s father gave a perfect reason for not getting a hand full of endorsements for his daughters when they were young.

Serena Williams and Capriati’s rivalry

An unpopular rivalry existed between the 23-time Grand Slam winner and the three-time Grand Slam champ, Capriati. They have both faced each other in 17 matches, with Serena ending up with a lead in the head-to-head record with ten.

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However, out of these, four were matches in the final of tournaments. Notably, despite their long-standing competition, the two still have a strong friendship after all these years. The 23-time Grand Slam champion lost to the former world number one in their last matchup, which took place at the 2004 US Open.