Maria Sharapova is a 5-time Grand Slam champion from Russia. If there is one other thing she might be well known for, it is her grunting during matches. In fact, her grunting became synonymous with her playing.
There are no rules as such against grunting, and the occasional grunt after a powerful shot or winning a point is understandable. But after every stroke? The now-retired player was infamous for shrieking and screaming after every point.
Maria admits that years of grunting, or in her case, plain-out screaming, left her with a bad throat. Any time she used to grunt, her throat would feel the heat. Her shrieks could be heard long after the ball had left her racket.
“From all that grunting even my throat hurts,” she told Tennis World. “I have done that since I was a young girl and just kind of stayed with me.”
Grunts have no real utility in the sport, other than to distract your opponent. However, it could be weaponized to intimidate a less experienced player.
US Davis Cup coach Patrick McEnroe said Maria would never shriek like that during practice. It just shows that the Russian was doing it intentionally. If the Tennis authorities came up with a rule against it, players like Maria Sharapova and others would be mindful of it.
Maria’s loudest grunt was recorded at around 102 decibels. For some context, a lion roars at 110 decibels.
A list of some of the worst grunters in tennis
Tennis has seen some screamers, and while it isn’t as bad as it used to be, even in the last decade, the problem of grunting still persists. Here, we take a look at some of the worst offenders.
David Ferrer-
Ferrer was nicknamed “Little Beast for his amazing stamina and speed. He also has a very distinctive grunt. He occasionally gets creative with his grunts when he hits a winner.
Rafael Nadal-
While Nadal might not be as bad as some others on this list when it comes to grunting, he still has an obnoxiously loud grunt. He’s possibly the loudest male player with a very distinct yell as he puts all his power behind his shot.
Serena Williams-
Again, a repeat offender when it comes to on-court action in tennis. Serena‘s grunts sound “angry” and it can be intimidating to face her when she’s in flow, both with a tennis racket and with her mouth.
Venus Williams-
The older Williams sister’s grunts sound harsher than Serena’s. Venus has a more authoritative sound. Mary Carillo had put it best, “It’s not even grunting anymore, its roaring.”
Michelle Larcher De Brito-
“If people don’t like my grunting, they can always leave. Nobody can tell me to stop grunting. Tennis is an individual sport and I’m an individual player. If they have to fine me, go ahead, because I’d rather get fined than lose a match because I had to stop grunting,” the player had said. At 109 decibels, Michelle’s grunts were the loudest recorded in tennis history.