Interestingly women's tennis legend Martina Navratilova wasn't a fan. She said it was "cheating and has to stop". Jump directly to the content. Sign in. People Making a Difference. Points of Progress. A Christian Science Perspective. Monitor Movie Guide. Monitor Daily. Photo Galleries. About Us. Get stories that empower and uplift daily.
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Subscribe to continue. Mark Sappenfield. Our work isn't possible without your support. Psychologists have suggested that grunting helps a player to feel more assured of themselves on court, which will allow them to produce better tennis. As a grown woman, Sharapova's grunts have exceeded decibels, which might make her the loudest grunter of all time, though there is no official record.
She used to say that grunting was just something she had done since a young age. It was part of her tennis technique. Trying to stop grunting when she was in her twenties would have been as challenging as trying to hold the racquet with a new grip.
It was always fascinating, though, to listen to her practice sessions, when she would be completely silent; she only grunted when she was playing matches. Seles has said she grunted from the age of eight, and that she didn't suddenly start as a pro. Just like every other aspect of tennis, younger players look at the elites and want to emulate what they're doing.
If grunters are winning Grand Slams, children and teenagers are also going to make some noise. When that generation then reaches the top of the sport, the cycle begins again. The WTA, which runs the tour, said it is looking at ways to reduce grunting. Currently, the umpire can penalize a player for "a deliberate act" of hindrance but the rule is rarely enforced when it comes to grunting.
This is tennis," Radwanska said. I don't think it's very necessary to scream that loud. So if they [the WTA] want to do something, why not?
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