"It was just a teenager thing, I can't punish her for it" - When Jennifer Capriati's father defended daughter amid controversial shoplifting charge

Among the greatest tennis players to come out of the United States is Jennifer Capriati, a former World No. 1 and winner of three Grand Slam titles. Most notably, Capriati turned pro at the age of just 14 and became a world-renowned name almost overnight, thanks to the success she achieved early on.

On her first year on the tour in 1990, she reached the semifinals of the Australian Open and reached two more semifinals the next year at Wimbledon and the US Open to break into the top 10. However, with no Slam to her name, Capriati took a break from tennis at the end of 1993 at the age of 17.

That same year, disaster struck off the court, with the American accused of shoplifting rings from a store. After a charge was filed against her by the shop owner, a police officer arrived on the scene and issued a citation against Capriati. Thankfully, since she did not have a previous violation to her name, she was not arrested.

Jennifer Capriati's father Stefano was quick to come to her defense immediately, stating in the press that it was an innocent mistake. He speculated that his daughter simply forgot to give a ring sample back to the owner, which was worth barely $15.

He insisted that Capriati was very sorry about the incident, even if she did not mean to do it, and assured everyone that the forgetfulness was just a 'teenager thing.'

"Everywhere we go in the world, she's always collecting the rings, and this time she just forgot to give the ring back and they called the police. Jennifer is very sorry that it happened, but it was just a teen-ager thing, you know. I can't punish her for it; she didn't mean to do it."

"It was an innocent mistake" - Jennifer Capriati's management group also defended her after shoplifting incident

Jennifer Capraiti At The 3rd Annual Nancy Reagan Tournament - Source: Getty

Jennifer Capriati's management group at the time, IMG, also defended the American immediately, putting out a statement.

Her agent Barbara Perry insisted that it was an innocent mistake that got blown out of proportion and that she was never arrested as claimed in some media.

"It was an innocent mistake on her part. She was shopping with friends, she was distracted, and we're viewing it as a minor incident. She was not arrested and she did not, as it's evidently been reported in Italy, go to jail. She's home with her family and she just feels badly that it happened at all," the statement read.

After a 14-month break from the sport, Capriati returned to the court in 1996. Five years later, she won her maiden Grand Slam title at the 2001 Australian Open, which she defended the following year.