The actor Peter Ustinov, a wit and a tennis tragic, watched Monica Seles grunting her way to a victory at Wimbledon and with a sniffy hauteur said to a friend: ‘I’d hate to be be in the hotel room next door on her wedding night.’
Forget about wedding nights when grunting and groaning are presumably legitimate noise-making. Let’s just accept that watching someone like Seles play in the past, and now Rafael Nadal, Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova in the Australian Open, means subjecting a viewer to the sound pollution of grunts, groans, aaahs, ooohs, eeeaahhs-urrrrrrs, sometimes at a volume of up to 100 decibels a shot which is apparently the volume of sound that a small aircraft nearby makes taking off.
This sound pollution tactic is increasingly being adopted by players who, admittedly, put less into their shots and their racing around the courts than the star players. It’s being called ‘the counter-grunt.’ The journeyperson Russian player, Elena Dementrieva, for instance, lived up to her name by adopting a double-bang grunt, ‘oooaah- urrrring’, on every shot, whether a great effort was expended or not.
In the Rafael Nadal-Victor Troiski first-round match we had the phenomenon (first observed by Phil Derriman in the SMH in 2005) of two players grunting in a different key. In this match Nadal grunted in the key of middle C, a baritone sound. Troiski some notes higher, with a soprano pitch to his groans.
During the commentary of the Maria Sharapova-Lindsay Davenport match which saw a silent Davenport (and she’s the one who’s had a baby) overwhelmed by a grunting, stiff-backed Sharapova, Tracey Austin was asked whether she ever grunted during her illustrious career. ‘I occasionally made a little squeak,’ Austin admitted, ‘when a tremendous effort had to be made to make a return. I’m only 5 foot, 5 inches, after all.’
It was clear from the Ustinov-like sniffiness of her reply that she disapproved of Sharapova’s grunting and groaning.
There are two main reasons why sound pollution on the tennis court should be banned: first, it is used as a tactic to unsettle opponents: and second, it makes watching tennis played by grunters and groaners an unpleasant experience, which grates on the pleasure of watching a beautiful sport
The grunters and groaners deny that they are trying to unsettle opponents. But this is clearly at the heart of the tactic. The retired Wimbledon referee Alan Mills told reporters some years ago that coaches were training women players, in particular, to grunt as loud as they can.
Martina Navratilova, who despised the tactic, pointed out that tennis players rely on the sound of the ball coming off an opponent’s racket to a certain extent to give them clues about its velocity, direction and the spin on the shot. How convenient it is that the grunting denies a skillful player this basic information.
In the 1992 quarter-final at Wimbledon, Steffi Graf demanded that Monica Seles, grunting at a 93 decibel level, shut up. Seles eventually lost the match to Graf.
Then there is the unpleasant nature of the sound. For the two hours or so playing Sharapova, say, her opponent and viewers are subjected to an unceasing flow of unpleasant noise, rather like being forced to listen to a heavy metal radio station in a locked room with the sound distorted because the tuning is off-station.
Earlier this year John Newcombe called for grunting to be banned on the tennis court by the organisers of the major tournaments. This is a campaign that deserves the support of everyone who loves the spectacle and the beauty of tennis. The secrets of the bedroom should be kept to the bedroom.
Jeremy
Guest
If it wasn’t cheating maybe limit it to 60dec; as it is, ban it.
David
Guest
I agree that all grunting should be banned - it is totally unneccessary, and a disgrace, and it is annoying for the viewer and spectator. I've got a feeling that it was all started off by Monica Seles in the early 90's, and players just cottoned on from it - the officials should really do something about it now.
Crazy Dave
Guest
Pat, if you don't like the silence in Tennis, what do you think of the silence in golf?
Pat
Guest
Whilst tennis is a great sport, I cannot stomach it for one major reason - the demand for silence. This is absolute rubbish that everyone in the entire stadium has to be silent whilst a point is in progress. An elite sportsperson has the ability to block out the distractions and focus on the task at hand, whether they be the crowd cheering or an opponent grunting. Take a footballer for instance - say Matthew Lloyd lining up for a shot at goal in a Grand Final in the dying stages. If he gets it his team wins the premiership. If he misses they lose. You cant get a more pressure situation than this yet he has to contend with opponents sledging him, opposition supporters hurling abusing at him and his own supporters cheering him on. Yet he still manages to kick the goal. I say get rid of the whole "silence" rule and let the supporters cheer and the players grunt.
Captainbryce
Guest
The "problem" of grunting is really overstated here. I think people are making this a bigger deal than it actually is. First of all, it's not like this is all of a sudden a 'new' problem in the sport. I also think they make more of this in women's tennis than in men's tennis. Ever since I can remember there have been players that were grunters and other players that were silent. It's a stylistic difference that really shouldn't matter that much. Bjorn Borg was silent while John McEnroe was a grunter. Pete Sampras played silently while Andre Agassi grunted. Steffi, silent, Monica LOUD grunter! Nowadays we often watch Rafael Nadal grunting his way through an epic match over the silent but deadly Roger Federer. Is grunting REALLY a problem? Do people really care if someone grunts while hitting a ball? I honestly don't think that many people (particularly the players) really care! Certainly not the ones who are professional enough to focus on the game and not the sounds their opponent is making. Nobody complains about "gamesmanship" when a fighter kiaps in a martial arts competition. You don't hear his opponent complaining that the other guy is being too loud before he strikes him! Venus and Serena are two of the loudest grunters on the tour. Are they employing gamesmanship when they are playing each other? Perhaps since both of them do it, they cancel each other out? Also, what is the measure of a grunt? Some players grunt more quietly than others. Andy Roddick and Jelena Jankovic can definetely be audible on the court when they play, but you don't hear them being singled out for their grunting. How do we determine WHO should be banned and who shouldn't. Do we get out the gruntometer? Sound pretty subjective to me. How about we just allow the Umpire to address individual complaints. They're all adults and they can police themselves, we don't need rules BANNING grunting! I think the idea of banning grunting is just ridiculous! I grunt when I play tennis and while I'm certain I'm not as obnoxious about it as say Maria Sharapova, it's not something that I am not usually aware of enough at the time. That's how natural it is to some players game. Sharapova might be taking it to another level sometimes and I have no objection to her opponent asking the chair to have her "tone it down" if it really bothers her. Otherwise, just LET THEM PLAY! Ultimately, the best player will win the match (whether they are grunting or not). On a side note, Lleyton Hewitt may have been very obnoxious when he popularized the C'mon exclaimations and fist pumping celebrations after every other point, but now just about every player does that in some way. Sharapova, Serena, Henin, Roddick, Nadal and even Roger Federer says C'mon now. Nobody would dare accuse him of "gamesmanship".
WZX
Guest
grunting on tennis matches should NOT be banned...... its clearly the player's choice to grunt or not..if your opponent grunts at you just grunt back.
Bob Mc Gregor
Guest
I gave up watching Tennis when they sanctioned an increase in the head size of the racquet. Immediately "soft" hitters became big hitters etc. Add to this graphite frames and strings so taught one had only to hit a ball flush and it would travel as never before. I lost interest completely. Gone was the artistry of Gonzales, Laver Hoad, Rosewell et al. Do most grunt these days? How objectionable! How can one watch? Perhaps they turn the sound off if watching on TV.
Tony
Guest
It has gotten absurd. It's one thing if it comes out unforced after a magnificent play. It's another thing to do it after every shot. Watching Nadal against Federer today, I can see why Nadal just may be the most hated player in male tennis today.
neil hymers
Guest
10/10, unforced error ridden, 2 set at most of 6-0 3rd set, womens tennis is unwatchable from a tennis quality perspective in the first place, the grunting just seals the deal.
Hatchet
Guest
For heaven's sake does this mean that people watch women's tennis for the skill and excitement? Grunting and groaning and fashion are the only things going for women's tennis these days I think that they should make it interesting by playing in the buff at least they would earn the over-priced prize money. Respectfully Hatchet
Hadmar Wieser
Guest
It's obvious we have a sex problem here: Battle cries have been a martial technique for millenia, used by Kung Fu fighters, Vikings, desert nomad riders and indian braves. If you really had something against battle cries then you would have done something against it 30 years ago, when the men started yelling in tennis. Your reaction shows that the technique works: The idea of the Ki-Ai is to focus the sexual and aggressive energies in one single breath and hit the opponent with it. And although you are not the main target, you geht hit and react accordingly: by sexual arousal and aggression. Your instinct tells you this sound belongs to the bedroom, and as you can't have the woman, you get aggressive. Understandable - but it's time to reactivate your ratio: Sport is a ritualized conflict. And every athlete uses every knowledge accessible to win. You can't turn back time. The Ki-Ai has been rediscovered and it will stay because it wins the match. Your problem is that the martial technique is not used by Mars but by Venus. You prefer your women as you saw them in tennis: innocent and white, sexy and graceful. Because if you really were against sex on the tennis court, you would have done something against the miniskirts and the underwear. I don't know about you, but my girlfriend uses garment like THAT only in the bedroom. :-) So let's take this like REAL men: We learned to see them running around in the streets in miniskirts. We learned to see them wear their lingerie outside. So we will learn to hear them sound like cats in heat.
foraggio
Guest
I remember John McEnroe and Jimmy Connors both grunting. Nobody cared. Nobody should care now. Brett Lee grunts every time he delivers a cricket ball, as did Shane Warne. Does it matter? If it matters, those it bothers are spending too much time thinking about what noises their opponents are making, and not enough on the ways to dismantle their game. Grunting is not enough to win you matches. Skill is, and Sharapova has as much of that as anyone. Seriously, it's time to get off this subject. It's just so irrelevant.
brad
Guest
nothing wrong with the grunt...get over it
fairyfloss
Guest
I AGREE GRUNTING SHOULD BE BANNED IT GREAT ON THE SPECTATORS EARS AND NERVES, WHEN WATCHING I HAVE TO TURN THE SOUND OFF OR JUST NOT WATCH AT ALL. COME ON OFFICIALS BAN IT ASAP
Mike
Guest
I think it would be a great counter tactic, particularly from a slightly masculine opponent (shall we say even, a girl who lies other girls), to respond to each grunt with "oh yeah baby". Can you imagine the sound?? "uuuhhhh, oh yeah baby, uuuuhhhh, oh yeah baby, uuuhhhh, oh yeah baby.....the crowd would be losing it!
Tony P
Guest
I honestly think Sharapova is always up to something, seeing her dad is always doing something wierd, even he did the cut-throat gesture the other day. So funny when the commentators humor him. Anyway, clearly she's using it as a tactic to throw the opppenent off guard. Wouldn't you just crack up laughing if someone kept making the sound they make in the bedroom?
Phil Coorey
Guest
John, I think the first was Seles. She was the first I can remember anyway... My god it is annoying and the reason I don't watch womens tennis. It gets to me on the highlights as well. Hewitt's annoying C'Mon cry is a pain in the butt as well so is his Mats Wilander rip off where he points his hand at his face.
Stoffy
Guest
Todays Venus Williams v Ana Ivanovic match was a noice pollution nightmare. Williams yell and Ivanovic's donkey-like cry was too much to absorb. Sharapova needs to tone down a bit, being the opposition would be a terrible when in a point all you hear is shreaks. Very well every so often a bit of emotion should be let slip, but every shot, no
MIckeyM
Guest
Hear, hear, Spiro. The grunts and shrieks are a disgrace, and should be banned. The way Sharapova in particular elongates her shriek to almost the point where the opponent is hitting the ball is just plain bad sportsmanship. There is no doubt that this is a deliberate tactic. If you have seen Sharapova on the practice court, you will note a complete lack of grunts/shrieks. Likewise, when she has to scramble to get to a shot, there is little noise on hitting the ball. Apart from the bad sportsmanship angle, it really does put you off as a spectator. I wonder how many people have to tune out before the organisers do something about it...
John
Guest
You have to wonder where this all started from. Who was the first person to start this grunting - it's quite odd? Other than weightlifting, is it a feature of any other sports? I must admit, I'm pretty baffled by it.