Capriati's comeback warms the heart

Jennifer Capriati is the new world number one

BBC tennis correspondent Iain Carter finds sport - and one woman's story in particular - to be a welcome diversion in these troubled times.

No wonder it's referred to as a glorious triviality because sport still serves its purpose even during times of international crisis.

In the general scheme of things, the fact that Jennifer Capriati has gone to the top of the tennis world rankings doesn't matter a jot.

Trivial, but glorious none the less.

'Why not,' she told me with a smile that suggested she didn't really believe it was possible

Iain Carter reflects on an interview with Jennifer Capriati

It's a heart-warming tale. I remember interviewing the Florida-based New Yorker when her comeback from oblivion was still in its infancy.

The former teenage sensation had just made it to the last 16 of the French Open.

It was two years ago and she was just edging back into the spotlight.

After dealing with the inevitable questions that detailed her previous and well documented fall from grace we concluded the interview by speculating whether she could ever become world number one.

"Why not," she told me with a smile that suggested she didn't really believe it was possible.

At the time it was certainly a fanciful notion, but with the 2001 Australian and French Open trophies on her mantelpiece she has now overtaken Martina Hingis to sit at the top of the tennis tree.

Capriati is thrilled at her success

Whether she would be in that position if Venus Williams played a full calendar is open to question, but she doesn't and so we have this genuinely inspiring story.

Capriati will be at the end of season championships in Munich and a showdown with Wimbledon and US Open champion Williams would constitute the perfect finale.

Both Venus and Serena Williams say they'll be there but in the current climate doubts over their participation persist.

Let's hope they're true to their word, we all need as much good news as we can get.