Jennifer Capriati made her long-awaited return to the Australian Open after 23 years away from the tournament.
Capriati retired from tennis in 2004, but she had not competed at the Australian Open since 2003.
Since making her farewell from the sport, Capriati has made very few public appearances at tennis tournaments.
That all changed in Melbourne this year, as Capriati handed out the trophy to new Australian Open champion Elena Rybakina.
Jennifer Capriati posts heartfelt message on social media after Australian Open return
Both during her career and since retiring from tennis, Capriati has faced many public struggles away from the sport.
Now seemingly in a better place, Capriati was there to hand over the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup that she won twice in her decorated career.
After making her return to Rod Laver Arena, Capriati took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to thank them for the opportunity.
Capriati wrote, “Thank you @AustralianOpen @CraigTiley @Andre_Sa77 for the amazingly warm and kind welcome back. It has been such an honor. Everything was perfect. So much has changed, but the kind, happy vibes remain the same!”
While she was only presenting the trophies for the women’s singles final, Capriati also confirmed that she would remain in Melbourne for the final of the men’s tournament between Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic.
The 49-year-old added, “You guys are awesome! I absolutely will be staying to watch the men’s final!!”
Jennifer Capriati’s Career Achievements
Capriati is a Tennis Hall of Famer, having been inducted into the exclusive group in 2012, and it is clear to see why.
In her decorated career, Capriati won three Grand Slam singles titles, with two of those coming at the Australian Open and the other at the French Open.
| Jennifer Capriati Career Achievements | |
| Career-high ranking | No.1 (17 weeks) |
| Number of titles won | 14 |
| Grand Slam titles won | 3 (Australian Open 2001 & 2002, French Open 2001) |
| WTA 1000 titles won | 2 (Canadian Open 2001, Charleston Open 2001) |
| Olympic medals won | 1 (Singles gold – Barcelona 1992) |
| Fed Cup/Billie Jean King Cup titles won | 2 (1990, 1996 & 2000) |
The American was also world number one for 17 weeks, and won a total of 14 titles in her career.
There was very little that Capriati did not win in her tennis career, including an Olympic gold medal, which she won in Barcelona at just 16 years old after beating Steffi Graf in the final.
Capriati also enjoyed success for USA in what is now known as the Billie Jean King Cup (was then the Fed Cup), having contributed to her nation’s success in three years.
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