"I vowed to never let them see me cry again; I knew something was very dark"- Jennifer Capriati lashes out at tennis media over continued mistreatment

Former World No. 1 Jennifer Capriati took umbrage at the tennis media on Monday (March 11), suggesting that they had let her down when she was still finding her feet on the WTA Tour.

Capriati turned pro in 1990 at the bare age of 13, reaching the semifinals of the French Open and becoming the youngest player to crack the WTA's top 10 rankings shortly after. The American would win the gold medal in singles at the Barcelona Olympics two years later, making her one of the best teenagers in tennis history.

However, while Jennifer Capriati's ascent to the top was steep, so was her fall, as she was arrested for possession of marijuana in 1994. The teen phenom subsequently took a break from tennis in the following years, during which she admittedly contemplated suicide.

The prodigy eventually rose to the World No. 1 spot and won three Major titles after returning to the WTA in the late 90s. She never forgave the media for overpublicizing her personal life struggles though, going by her latest posts on X (formerly Twitter).

In response to a fan sympathizing with her for breaking down into tears after her early exit at the 1999 US Open, the 47-year-old claimed that the press wouldn't stop hounding her even after her retirement, writing:

"And the press didn’t care. I vowed to never let them see me cry again. I can’t believe it’s still goiong on 30 years later after winning 3 grand slams and becoming number 1 in the world. I’m still being dragged into it by my former rivals no less. This is unbelievable to me."

She added:

"What people are realizing now about the press I figured out at 15 years old. I knew something was very dark and off about it. It didn’t feel right with in my soul and heart."

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"For whatever reason this has been my life" - Jennifer Capriati

Jennifer Capriati has been in the news over the last week, owing to her rant against the media and her admonition of former rival Lindsay Davenport's comments on her late father, Stefano.

In a separate comment on the above thread, the former World No. 1 expressed dismay at always having been under scrutiny during her career. That being the case, Capriati maintained that she was privileged and that "everyone is suffering and battling something." She wrote:

"I know this life is temporary, god is going to take care of me, for whatever reason this has been my life. In comparison to others that are truly suffering ten fold, I am still grateful and blessed. It’s the only way. Everyone is suffering and battling something."