"Am I that big that they have to make such a big deal out of this" - When Jennifer Capriati spoke about her shoplifting incident 

Jennifer Capriati was among the finest tennis players of her time, but the American had more than her fair share of controversies during her career as well.

Capriati broke out as a precocious talent in 1990 and had already achieved a lot by 1993. However, she was in the headlines for the wrong reasons shortly after this, including a citation for shoplifting in 1993.

Capriati and a friend of hers were at a mall in Tampa Bay, Florida, trying on several inexpensive rings at a jeweler's kiosk. Unfortunately, she left the kiosk without returning one of the rings and the vendor decided to file a complaint against her.

Speaking to the New York Times in December 1993, Jennifer Capriati said that the incident was an accident as she forgot she still had the ring on while leaving the kiosk.

"I forgot I had the ring on, and by the time I remembered, it was too late," she said.

Although the case was dismissed, the media made sure to blow the issue out of proportion. The then-teenager expressed her surprise towards the whole situation and said that she later forgot about everything and everyone apart from her brother.

"I thought, 'Am I that big that they have to make such a big deal out of this. And I see now that once you're considered a celebrity, you kind of have no rights to privacy'. After that I kind of forgot about everything and everyone except for my brother; all I cared about was having my music and partying with friends," Capriati said.

Jennifer Capriati's resurgence after 1999

Jennifer Capriati at the 2018 WTA Finals

Jennifer Capriati struggled during the mid and late 1990s with her off-field issues and form. However, she had a resurgence in 1999 and things steadily progressed for her in the years that followed.

Capriati reached her first Grand Slam semifinal in nine years during the 2000 Australian Open. 2001 was a memorable year for her as she won her maiden Grand Slam title at the Australian Major, beating Martina Hingis in the final. She followed that up by winning the French Open 2001, defeating Kim Clijsters in the title clash.

Capriati also won the Charleston Open and became World No. 1 in 2001. The following year, she defended her Australian Open crown by beating Martina Hingis in a thrilling final where she had to save four championship points.

Jennifer Capriati eventually retired from tennis in 2004.

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