Maria Sharapova is well known for grunting during strokes, she has reportedly registered 101 decibels which lags just behind a lion’s roar at 110 decibels. Although there are plans to crack down on excessive grunting, which has become a hallmark of ladies tennis, many from within the sport seem flippant about it.
We should waste no time in calling a spade of spade, grunting loudly is a form of gamesmanship for most tennis players, designed primarily to disturb the focus of opponents and any claims that it releases tension should be met with skepticism, especially since the sheer volume of the grunts need not be so loud.
Nothing is more intriguing in sport then to watch players attempt to throw their opponents off. It’s an important facet which should not be repressed since mental toughness should be a criterion of any professional sports player.
Australian cricketers are well known for their antics during matches, making remarks in between deliveries and poking fun at their opponents. Imagine, however, Brett Lee running in to bowl a 90 mph delivery and upon releasing the ball grunting madly. Not only would this be frowned upon in cricket but there would be outrage, sports journalists and cricketing enthusiasts would express their condemnation in a flash.
The fear of sharp criticism from every direction would stop 99.9% of bowlers behaving in this way. It seems clear then, tennis players, old and new, along with fans and journalists have a collective responsibility to push back against the grunting.
During press conferences, interviews and even between points, tennis players are welcome to engage in phycological games, but in the heat of a point, players should afford each other a level playing field.
