Ever since the emergence of Jimmy Conners and Monica Seles, ‘grunting’ has become an integral part of championship tennis, but should it be allowed, and do players get an unfair advantage over their quieter opponents?
Wimbledon Centre Court
A report out recently seems to suggest that ‘grunters’ do get an unfair advantage.
Jimmy Conners
In the past I have occasionally watched the tennis at Wimbledon, but not for years now, not since the ‘grunters’ came on the scene.
Monica Seles – Female Trend Setter
There is nothing more annoying than to watch a game with one or both participants grunting or shrieking at the top of their voices every time they hit the ball.
Michelle Larcher de Brito – 109db.
Young players like Portuguese Michelle Larcher de Brito has a recorded ‘shriek’ level of 109 decibels, and Maria Sharapova of Russia hit a level of 101 decibels.
Maria Sharapova – 101db.
You can compare these sound levels with a power saw operating at a range of 3 ft (110db). According to science, the level at which hearing loss may develop with long exposure is 90-95 decibels.
Miss da Brito seems quite unrepentant at the level of noise she is responsible for, having told a reporter quite blankly; “If people don’t like my grunting they can always leave”. Many stars have come forward to justify the noise they make, but it just goes to show they are nothing more than spoiled brats who have no place in professional tennis.
Rafael Nadal – Loudest Male
Other stars in the international tennis world known for grunts and shrieks are Rafael Nadal and the Williams sisters. In fact these days, it has become an integral part of every match.
According to Canadian and American researchers who published a report last Friday, ‘grunters’ and ‘shriekers’ DO gain a significant advantage over their quieter opponents. It would seem the loud grunts and shrieks issued when a stroke is played can make their opponent slower to respond, and misjudge where the ball is actually going, thus making it harder to return the shot.
The report states that many professional players judge the spin and velocity of the return ball by the sound it makes when hit, however, when a grunt masks the sound this is impossible, and therefore leaves the player at a disadvantage. The sounds issuing from the player also serve as a distraction.
Rod Laver – 1969 Champion
Personally, I find the whole situation a mess, and ‘grunting’ should be banned outright. After all, previous champions such as Rod Laver, Billie Jean King, Bjorn Bjorg, Virginia Wade, Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert played in a time when opponents could win without grunting.
Martina Navratilova
Both Navratilova and Evert have condemned the current practice outright. Navratilova even went so far as to call it cheating and I agree. Sadly, the only ones who can stamp out this practice are the various Tennis Federations that govern the sport.
Bille Jean King – First Championship Win 1969
It is clear the majority of fans are becoming heartily sick of the whole situation, and this practice should be outlawed in professional tennis. It is time Wimbledon told its competitors, before next years championship, that all verbal sounds issued when hitting a ball are banned, and competitors not following this code will be docked points, sets, or even games.
This would indicate that such players as Miss de Brito will be on court with duct tape over their mouths just in case they forget the new rules.
It will certainly be nice to see a game of tennis where the only sound heard is the racquet hitting the ball. Although I suppose a mild oath or two at a missed opportunity will also be acceptable.
Roll on quieter tennis!
Roy.
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