Selena Roberts / The New York Times

MELBOURNE, Australia – Jennifer Capriati was seated in a small garden outside Rod Laver Arena late this afternoon, at ease with the fuss around her, completely relaxed as the center of attention.

She was just moments away from leaving the grounds for a photo session reserved for the Australian Open champion, and yet she was far removed from a time when she bristled at the flashbulbs that flooded the infancy of her career.

In the early 1990′s, Capriati was simply “Jenny” to everyone. She giggled, twisted her hair and lit up every tournament she played in as the bubble-gum curiosity. Just after she won a gold medal in Barcelona, Spain, more than eight years ago, she said, “All week I watched the other athletes up there, and I thought, ‘Wow, that would be so cool.’ ”

A smitten public devoured the innocent reaction of the 16-year-old Capriati. For so long, nothing would ever top that moment for her. “I was thinking about that,” Capriati said today. “I mean, that actually seems like another life. So this is a new life, a different life. It’s actually like winning something for the first time again.”

Today, she experienced a rebirth of sorts. As Capriati unraveled the plot of top-seeded Martina Hingis, 6-4, 6-3, in the final of the Australian Open, she found closure. If nothing else, she tied up one loose-ended question: will she ever be the same again?

No, she is better. The 24-year-old Capriati is stronger, fitter and happier than she was when she turned pro 11 years ago. And more at peace with fame now than she was when she plunged into a dark adolescent period during the mid-90′s. If the corporate world that once dumped her during her tailspin comes charging toward her again, a more mature Capriati seems poised to handle it.

“I’m not going to let anything change me, change what I do or who I am,” Capriati said. “You know, I’m always going to do what I want. No matter how many companies or whatever comes at me, I’ll just always stick to what makes me comfortable.”

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