Sometimes tennis isn’t exactly silent. (Pictures: Rob Newell – CameraSport / Contributor)
One of the oldest arguments in the history of the game of tennis is being ignited once again as the world’s most prestigious tennis competition continues at Wimbledon.
For as long as tennis has been broadcast, many fans have wondered why the sport seems not to be ‘silent on centre court’.
Tennis players grunting when they strike the ball has been a source of confusion (and possibly even bemusement) for many, with some of the game’s biggest stars being amongst some of the worst offenders.
So why do tennis players grunt, and who have been some of the sport’s loudest participants?
Here is what you need to know.
Why do tennis players grunt?
The first thing to realise is that there are several theories behind why many tennis stars exhibit this quirk, and without asking every player in the sport individually, there will be no definitive answer.
The general consensus seems to be that the exhaling that takes place while grunting helps to relax your muscles when serving.
This makes sense when you consider how holding your breath can help to tighten up your muscles and restrict your movement.
TheTennisBros.com state that: ‘Breathing in whilst you load up your muscles and prepare your racket to strike the ball can really help steady yourself for contact, whilst exhaling as you uncoil your body and swing your racket through the ball is a great way to stay relaxed and produce long, effortless strokes.’
There is a (slightly more sinister) theory that suggests the noise is intentionally created to disrupt auditory information and harm the opponent’s chances of guessing the direction of a shot.
Rather than seeking to distract your opponent, the theory states that the grunting covers sounds that might indicate whether the ball was hit in a particular direction.
Former world number one Martina Navratilova even went as far as to suggest grunting is cheating based on just this reasoning.
Who are the loudest tennis grunters?
Some of the biggest names to be cited when it comes to grunting include Maria Sharapova, Venus Williams, Victoria Azarenka, Gustavo Kuerten, Serena Williams, and Rafael Nadal.
Aryna Sabalenka was also accused of grunting too loudly during her first-round loss to Ash Barty back in 2019.
Victoria Azarenkaany was one of the competitors at this year’s competition that proved especially vocal.(Picture: Shi Tang/Getty Images)
It’s worth noting that tennis is far from alone in being a particularly noisy sport – football, rugby, and more often feature players grunting or even shouting. Still, because of the louder background noise given off by the supporters, it tends to blend into the background.
The fact that tennis demands quiet from the audience courtside means that any noise made by the players competing is bound to stick out.
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Silence on centre court, please?
