There is every kind of study and statistics for tennis, so why not analysing the grunting?
Azarenka has the longest grunt at 95 decibels and it has been compared to
1- a mating call of a peacock’ – Times;
2- “An auditory assault, a stuck-pig-giving-birth soundtrack.” – Sports Illustrated.
3- “Like she’s rather enjoying being spanked” – a (female) columnist for The Guardian.
Sharapova’s grunt is more aggressive and loud (100 decibels), but less creative and it has been compared bye the Times only “At its most extreme, it’s like the noise an owl might make were you to hit it hard with a stick.”
Agnieszka Radwanska said: “About Maria Sharapova, I mean, what can I say? For sure that is pretty annoying and it’s just too loud.”
Caroline Wozniacki: “I think there are some players who grunt on purpose. They don’t do it in practice and then they come into the match and they grunt. I think the officials could definitely cut it. If you grunt really loudly your opponent cannot hear how you hit the ball. Because the grunt is so loud, you think the ball is coming fast and suddenly the ball just goes slowly.”
Azarenka: “It’s the way I am, the way I play, the way I used to play when I was a kid. As a child I was really weak, so I had to give that little extra power there. It kind of stuck with me, so that’s it.”
Azarenka made a fun of her by imitating her grunt: “I have no problem with that at all actually. It’s fine by me. It doesn’t really bother me. I respect the crowd, whatever they do. I try to just be focused on my game, and that’s it.”
Sharapova: “I’ve been the same over the course of my career. No one important enough has told me to change or do something different.”
