"Every time I'd turn on the TV, I was starting to question myself": When Jennifer Capriati admitted to being distracted by Serena Williams controversy

Jennifer Capriati once confessed that she was distracted by her controversial 2004 US Open quarterfinal match against Serena Williams.

That year at Flushing Meadows, Capriati's 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 victory over Williams isn't what made headlines. Instead, it was the match itself that sparked change in tennis history as it prompted the introduction of Hawk-Eye technology in the sport.

During the match, there were several contentious line calls, especially one crucial call against Williams in the third set. It raised eyebrows as TV replays clearly showed the ball had landed inside the line, yet the chair umpire Mariana Alves' ruling remained unchanged.

This incident stirred discussions about the accuracy of line calls in tennis with Williams later revealing that it prompted the implementation of the Hawk-Eye system. The USTA also issued an apology to her.

Jennifer Capriati went on to be eliminated by Elena Dementieva in the semifinal of the New York Major in 2004. The American attended a press conference afterwards where she admitted to being distracted by her controversial clash with Serena Williams.

"I'd have to say it did. I mean, because, you know, I really -- I couldn't sleep, you know, even a couple times after. It was just like so much just emphasis on that," Capriati said.

"Every time I would kind of turn on the TV, I was just starting to question even myself, you know, about it. It was difficult and a lot of distraction maybe from that," she added.

Capriati elaborated:

"Well, like, you know, like, you know, 'Did I do something wrong? Was it my fault?' Whatever. Just things like even just in the last game, you know, where they're going back -- if you check on every single ball, like probably it would just go both ways. You can't do that. But it made it seem like, you know, like I just got everything, you know."

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Jennifer Capriati won 3 Grand Slam titles throughout her career

Jennifer Capriati pictured with the 2001 Australian Open trophy

Jennifer Capriati won three Grand Slam singles titles during her career, which spanned from 1990 to 2004.

Capriati secured her first Major at the 2001 Australian Open by defeating Martina Hingis in the final in straight sets. The following year in Melbourne, she successfully defended her title, overcoming Hingis once again, though this time in a hard-fought match that extended to three sets.

The American captured her second Grand Slam at the French Open in 2001, defeating Kim Clijsters. However, the former World No. 1 never managed to lift the Wimbledon and US Open trophies despite reaching the semifinals on multiple occasions.