Every January, when the Australian Open rolls around, we are confronted with one of tennis’ most controversial issues: grunting. Exhaling. The noise players make when they hit the ball.
All players are different, having learnt and developed their skills in different ways, which manifest in their distinct playing style.
In relation to the grunt, each player who makes such a noise has come to that position over such a long period of time that it has become a mostly involuntary sound.
Much like the exhale of a gym junkie on the power cleans, a quick exhale of air apparently allows tennis’ lifting or hitting action to be carried out with more power and efficiency.
As an evening and weekend tennis hack, I understand how the grunt occurs – I even admit I sometimes do it.
The most common is the serve grunt, where a player’s body contracts and then expands in a quick motion, bringing an involuntary exhale.
But some players – both men and women – use the grunt as a tool of the trade, either to feel more power through an audible exhale, or to put an opponent off their game. Tennis players are very precious when it comes to sound, so it’s interesting that the majority of them accept that audible exhales are a part of the game.
It was somewhat ironic that during Nick Kyrgios’ loss the other night, the sound of music in the background was distracting him, while nearly every second shot he hit was followed by a loud grunt.
I attended the 2012 Australian Open women’s final, between Maria Sharapova and Victoria Azarenka, and I can tell you it was some soundtrack.
It is difficult to discuss this issue without mentioning Sharapova. If you were at the gym and someone next to you did a deadlift and then screamed like they had torn a ligament, you would be shocked, especially if they continued to deadlift and scream.
Would you just write it off as their weightlifting exhale? I don’t think so.
Seven commentator and tennis great Jim Courier described Roger Federer’s matches against Grigor Dimitrov and David Goffin as “elegant”, not so much for the style of match, but due to the lack of grunts coming from all three players. Courier delighted in the spectacle of on-court skill, speckled with the occasional squeal of a hard court tennis shoe on plexicushion.
Federer himself often makes the serve grunt, so where do we draw the line on what is acceptable?
Except maybe a yearly editorial and commentary to make us all feel like we are addressing the issue, I don’t think there is much that can be done about it.
Some people find it a shame on the game, others care less. Just as certain playing styles and abilities are preferred by fans, so too are the players’ grunts. We can except some and find others less agreeable.
C’est la vie!
Steve
Guest
Its been proven that the female players grunt at far higher decibel levels with sharapova reaching about the same level as a lions roar, your both kidding and making a fool of yourself with the ignorance displayed in your comments, everyone knows its a much bigger problem in the womens game.
Linus Fernandes
Roar Rookie
The people who find the grunting annoying or disturbing mind it a lot. The others, like me, who can't hear it or have blocked it out and only hear it when it's brought to our attention, couldn't care less. When a player's winning, his or her opponent's grunting is a non-issue. When they're not...
Maggie
Guest
Wimbledon 2012, second round of women's singles, Sabine Lisicki complained to the umpire twice about the noise made by Bojana Jovanovski. I don't know what response there was from the umpire. In any case Lisicki won.
Andrew Smyth-Kirk
Roar Guru
Ferrer does have an very prolonged grunt that does increase in length and decibel as he becomes more desperate or needs more energy. I suspect that if you apply my gym exhale test on David Ferrer's grunt you would find it not acceptable, and I would agree with that. Watching Murray last night though, his is more an effort thing as you can see that when he moves laterally for a wide ball his inhales are audible. The grunt is a mens and womens issue it seems though. It might come down to the rival player complaining to the umpire about it for any action to be taken. Im trying to think of an instance of that occurring, because I know it has, but I dont know an exact one to quote. You would find that if the player complains enough the umpire might have to act, by at least asking or making it known to the grunting player that the other player has found the sound distracting.
Maggie
Guest
To both Mark and Edward - grunting is not significantly more prevalent (or more of a problem) in women's tennis than in men's, nor I suspect are the decibels higher. You probably think that way because women's voices are higher pitched than men's. Well tough - that's simply genetics. And Wednesday's men's quarter final between David Ferrer and Andy Murray will be a grunt-fest.
Up the Wahs
Roar Guru
Sure grunting features in both men and women's tennis but you can't honestly say any of those men mentioned, are even in the same ballpark when it comes to the decibels produced by Azarenka and Sharapova.
Mark
Guest
No-one denies grunting also occurs in the men's game and any efforts to stamp it out should be applied equally across the men's and women's games. But let's not kid ourselves. Excessive grunting had its origins in the women's game (Seles) and is significantly more prevalent, and more of a problem, in the women's game.
James Coman
Roar Rookie
Great read !
Maggie
Guest
Every year during the Australian Open the Roar has comments such as those of Mark and Lance above which imply grunting is an issue only in women's tennis. Just as many male players grunt as do the women. Just some examples: David Ferrer, Rafael Nadal, Stan Wawrinka, Andy Murray (on court right now). If you don't like grunting, fine, but don't bias your comments to only some of the offenders.
lance
Guest
I thought I'd heard that a rule was being brought into women's tennis to stop the grunting...I don't like it. I think it's a distraction to the other player and the enjoyment of the crowd...I'm over it....it would be an easy thing to stop...apart from the 'serve' any player that grunts excessively during play receives a couple of warnings, and then they start losing the point, and then if they get a third warning, they forfeit the match...
Andrew Smyth-Kirk
Roar Guru
I have heard that also. Good point.
Mark
Guest
In an ideal world, I would prefer an increasing scale of penalties (warnings, lets, points, games and finally...if absolutely necessary, a match). Of course, penalties should only come after appropriate warning, and players should not be penalised for any grunts when they particularly exert themselves (on a serve or after really stretching out for a shot). That said, I do appreciate that there are challenges to implementing penalties. Should the criteria be objective (based on a certain decibel level) or subjective (based on the opinion of the chair umpire)? Also, you are spot on where you say "each player who makes such a noise has come to that position over such a long period of time that it has become a mostly involuntary sound". If a player has been allowed to grunt his/her way all through junior tennis, they likely aren't going to be able to, or want to, change now. The WTA needed to crack down on grunting when Monica Seles started it. Now the genie is out of the bottle and it will be a very long and difficult road to put it back in. What I would suggest is leaving the open professional game as it is for the time being, but cracking down hard on grunting at the junior levels. If young players develop without grunting, they shouldn't do it at the open level. Of course, if that didn't work, then the crackdown could be implemented in the open game as well.
clipper
Guest
I do believe coaches, academies etc are discouraging the use of grunting and squealing, such is the distaste for it.
Andrew Smyth-Kirk
Roar Guru
What kind of measures do you think they could implement? Point penalties, games etc?
Mark
Guest
It is a blight on the game and makes most women's tennis unwatchable. It's a pity the WTA haven't had the courage to crack down on it.