The grunters at Wimbledon

Just watched the Cilic/ Pella match.
I won’t spoil it be giving the result but what a great fight.
No grunting.
Muffin- I play tennis but I’ve never realised I was supposed to hear the ?. So that’s where I’ve been going wrong!

It's very weird, isn't it? I don't watch tennis a lot - but this new habit has me switching off, pronto! Reminds me of that other horrible, maddening, habit that a lot of people have of saying, 'Moi, moi' when they kiss you on the cheek! (Actually, it's not a kiss - it's just a word in your ear.) WHY? I don't get it! Kiss me, or don't - I'm not bothered - but please don't MOI me!

But to get back to tennis ... there's no reason to grunt and scream. You're making yourselves look fools, ladies.

Completely out if order I press mute on the TV.

Brilliant! A tennis thread. I thought I was the only one watching Wimbledon.

Yes I agree - the women grunters are so annoying.

WHY do they do it? Is it an unconscious habit or do they do it to intimidate the opponent?

Whatever the reason I wish the officials could put an end to it for all our sakes.

Edmond to watch tomorrow!

One year I went and saw two brilliant men's matches with women's match in between, their noise was unbearable from the women and distracted from tennis, glad it was short game

Can't stand it. Unnecessary and very very irritating for viewers, must be hell for opponents.

It used to be called gamesmanship. In other words, cheating. Women’s tennis has never ever been less attractive to watch.

The ‘old’ rackets were quieter on impact; less shot noise to mask.

Maria S is particularly bad for this.

The women started it and now the men are just as bad. Either it wasn't like that back in the days of Rod Laver and Virginia Wade, or the sound equipment wasn't as good.

Watching

It is putting me off the women play.

Maple it’s coached into them to mask the sound of the ball coming off the racket, which gives the opponent information about the shot being played.

It’s gamesmanship, but despite various criticisms over the decades, it’s not outwith the rules.

Oh for the days of Martina and Chrissie

We were up at our local sports centre last week watching GS doing something and were adjacent to the tennis courts where a young girl of about eleven or twelve was being put through her paces by a coach. They obviously start the grunting early because she was hard at with the vocals. I have to say, though, that the power going into her shots was beyond impressive. One to watch.

I am worried for her larynx.

I went to Wimbledon a few years ago and was courtside when Sharapova was playing - it was absolutely deafening! It must be incredibly off-putting for her opponent, has a whiff of gamesmanship to me..

It's awful, isn't it? Why has it become so fashionable in recent years? I suppose they think it's off putting to the opponent. I think it's off putting full stop!!

I can hear it but not see it at the moment (which could be worse).
DH just said that they sound like foxes mating

I watch with the sound off ?

Grunting I can cope with - the screaming is just beyond the pale.

That's why I have just turned it off for today lol. Cannot watch many of the women play because of the noises they make. So annoying and unnecessary.