Have you ever wondered why tennis players grunt while playing? Many studies have been conducted over the years to determine the root cause of grunting in tennis.

Tennis is recognized for its elegance and sportsmanship, although grunting isn't considered particularly elegant. When certain tennis players hit their shots, they make a tremendously loud noise that is commonly described as "shrieking" or "screaming." It is prominent in both men's and women's tennis.

According to Louise Deeley, a sports psychologist at Roehampton University, tennis players grunt as part of their routine. When players grunt, she says, it helps them keep track of how they're hitting and how they're pacing things.

If you've ever watched Rafael Nadal, Serena Williams, and Maria Sharapova Play tennis, you've probably wondered, "What's with all the grunting?" You will see players who don't utter a peep during a four-hour battle, and then you'll see players who scream loud enough to wake up a small village. That doesn't seem right, does it?

After speaking with various tennis players and conducting our own research, we have put together this guide to help you understand why tennis players grunt.

What Is Grunting in Tennis?

Researchers have been drawn to two aspects of grunting and tennis play. First, grunting was investigated from the perspective of an opponent, who may find it detrimental to their performance since it hinders their capacity to assimilate information during shot preparation. Second, the impact of grunting on the grunter's own hitting performance was investigated. In both circumstances, grunting could be considered performance-enhancer for the grunter and performance-detrimental for their opponent.

A Guide to Understand Why Tennis Players Grunt

It's only natural for tennis viewers (who have never played the sport) to wonder why professional players grunt. You might assume that grunting may affect a player's image in the eyes of spectators, other players, and even sponsors. But that’s not all.

Grunting helps tennis players concentrate, breathe, and boost their energy. Every tennis player can benefit from grunting, as it has been scientifically demonstrated to improve shot velocity by about 5%.

Some players have become so accustomed to grunting that it has become an integral part of their on-court character. You may watch a video of Maria Sharapova's 15-year history of grunting during every match.

"Either you do it or you don't," Maria says. Below, we'll go over some of the advantages and disadvantages of grunting in tennis, in the hopes that you'll have a better understanding. If you're a player, you can then decide whether or not grunting will help you advance farther in your game.

Benefits of Grunting

Grunting is used by professional tennis players for a variety of reasons. Some players grunt to sustain their concentration, while others grunt to maintain their intensity. Plus, there are players who grunt to manage their respiration. Personally, we've always believed that grunting helps players get into their "zone" — the degree of concentration required to perform at their best. According to a study, it has been observed that if players don't grunt, they become too passive and uninterested on the court. So, on days when tennis players don't feel very motivated, they resort to grunting or groaning to re-energize themselves.

You'll note that some players have made grunting a part of their game (much like bouncing the ball before serving), and their game would be thrown off if they couldn't grunt anymore. On the other hand, other players only start grunting after a game has lasted a few hours when their bodies begin to tire and grunting is used as a strategy to keep playing at a high level. Finally, even if their life depended on it, some players will refuse to grunt because they believe it is a waste of energy and, in some cases, embarrassing. While these advantages are purely subjective (and not scientifically verified), grunting has been scientifically demonstrated to provide you a competitive advantage on the tennis court by increasing your power and velocity.

The Science Behind Grunting in Tennis

The sport of tennis isn't the only one where athletes grunt. Olympic weightlifters are frequently seen screaming primal cries as they seek to shatter their own records. In sports that involve quick bursts of energy and movement, grunting is said to help boost power and velocity.

A 2014 study in Texas looked at the effects of grunting on collegiate tennis players in an attempt to prove that this was accurate. The researchers chose 32 players from NCAA Divisions II and III, 17 of whom had no history of grunting and 15 did. Using a radar gun and sensors, the researchers recorded velocity, force, and peak muscle activity during serves and forehands.

Grunting enhanced the speed of forehands and serves by 4.91 percent and 4.89 percent, respectively, according to the study. During forehands and serves, the isometric forces (when muscles maintain a movement or posture for long periods of time) increased by 19.09 percent and 26.35 percent, respectively.

Given how important forehands and serves are in a player's game, grunting could become a big advantage for players. Tennis players could gain a considerable edge by increasing the velocity of such key shots by about 5%.

Controversy Over Tennis Grunting

While many people believe that grunting is good and strategic in tennis, others have spoken out against it. A legendary tennis player, Martina Navratilova, remarked in 2009 that tennis is the same as cheating because it is nothing more than a means to divert your opponent's attention away from you. Other current and past players, including Todd Woodbridge and Caroline Wozniacki, have publicly chastised grunting players and suggested that the major professional tennis bodies take action.

Loudest Grunts in Tennis

While the capacity of players' grunting is not regularly assessed, it has been done in the past on a few instances. Maria Sharapova is thought to have the loudest grunt on the circuit, at a decibel level of 101.

As a point of reference, a typical discussion yields 60 dB. At 60 mph, a normal automobile will create 70. 80 are produced by a garbage disposal or a typical factory. If you're 10 meters away from a motorcycle, it'll produce 90. A jet take-off produces 100 units. Maria Sharapova is capable of grunting at 101 decibels once more. Impressive.

While Sharapova is known for being one of the loudest tennis players, there are a number of other players who are equally as loud. Some of the biggest tennis players come from Novak Djokovic,Rafael Nadal, Victoria Azarenka, andAryna Sabalenka.

Is it against the rules to grunt in tennis?

Despite the fact that there have been concerns about grunting for years, no ban on grunting in tennis has ever been granted. While such laws would undoubtedly gain support, they would also affect players who have made grunting a part of their game. The WTA has discussed imposing a "grunting limit," but nothing has been implemented as of yet.

Grunters give their opponents less time, perception, and response time when it comes to balls. They also have an impact on the return shot's accuracy. When accompanied with a grunt, it was more difficult to judge the ball's spin, depth, and speed. Martina Navratilova has previously stated that grunts and squawks are used to conceal the sort of spin a player applies to a ball.

Should grunting in tennis be prohibited?

It would be incredibly difficult to outright prohibit grunting; neither the ATP nor the WTA has ever conducted a survey to determine the number of grunters in the game. It would be incredibly difficult to police a blanket ban on grunting, and what would be the penalty for grunting, a warning or a penalty point? And who would be in charge of the monitoring? Would the umpire, who already has to call the score, keep an eye on the lines, and organize his ball guys, be willing to do so? Would he be ready with his decibel meter in case a shot went above the limit? It's a stretch for tennis purists to believe they could ever outlaw grunting; it's far too common.

Men's grunts are often deeper than those of their female counterparts, and they may go unnoticed. Female players' squawks are given greater attention because they are higher pitched. Obviously, any rule intended to encourage players to reduce their grunting or moaning must apply equally to male and female players.

Consider other sports, such as track and field or rugby for a moment. When competitors in discus throwing contests release the discus, they frequently let out a great yell. On the field of play, rugby players also grunt and yell as they mince an opponent. We may be more sensitive to shrieking because tennis is a silent sport.

Is the Grunter in a better position?

In several early experimental tests, grunting was proven to obscure vital auditory information used by an opponent. Participants in a study were given the option of watching video clips of an expert tennis player hitting the ball with or without audio stimulation. Their goal was to determine whether the ball was hitting their left or right side as quickly and accurately as possible. As a result of the grunt, the grunt's directional decision-making was demonstrated to be sluggish and erroneous.

When research findings from the study are applied to the court, a 30-millisecond interruption in reacting when an extra aural stimulus is present results in a standard rally shot being picked two feet later than when there is no grunt. This increases the opponent's pressure and cuts down on their preparation time, both of which are bad for their performance.

The impact of a grunt on performance is less obvious. As some professional players have anecdotally stated, a well-timed grunt may mask key aural information used by a player when the racquet impacts the ball. Another hypothesis is that a grunt might draw a player's concentration away from the sound of contact of the racquet ball and toward the grunt itself, causing them to lose track of time.

Finally, a grunt might draw attention away from the visual data offered by racquet-ball contact. At this time, there is no actual evidence to support any of these allegations.