Glyn Kirk/AFP/Getty ImagesMaria Sharapova is among those who've taken grunting and shrieking to a whole new (decibel) level.Ian Ritchie, chief executive of the All England Lawn and Tennis Club, has called for an end to the grunting and shrieking in women's tennis. Ritchie claims the grunting is distracting to officials, spectators and players.
Come on, Ritchie, don't get your tennis shorts in a wad. We've had grunting in tennis for more than three decades now.
In honor of the latest uproar out of Wimbledon, let's take a look at some of the most memorable grunters and grunt-related incidents in the game. It'll be a scream, I promise.
Jimmy Connors: Connors, who retired in 1996 -- before some of today's notorious grunters were even born -- is widely regarded as the "godfather" of tennis grunting. Known for his outbursts on the court, grunting and otherwise, he won his first of 12 Grand Slam tournaments in 1974, on his way to a first-ballot spot in the Grunters Hall of Fame.
Monica Seles: Seles introduced the grunt to the women's game, famously shrieking her way to 10 Grand Slam titles. In 1992, she reportedly reached 93 decibels on the Wimbledon "Grunt-O-Meter." Martina Navratilova actually complained to the Wimbledon chair umpire twice during a semifinal match against Seles. Though she claimed the grunting and shrieking was unintentional, Seles let her game do the talking, knocking Navratilova out of the tournament.
Andre Agassi: Agassi set the men's game on edge with his flowing locks and aggressive approach on the court, grunting his way to eight Grand Slam singles titles in his legendary career. During the 1988 US Open semifinals, Ivan Lendl became so distracted by Agassi's grunts, he asked tournament officials to come onto the court. Lendl had the last word, beating Agassi in four sets.
Maria Sharapova: The long-legged blonde is known as much for her groundstrokes as her grunting. She's taken it to a new level with incessant shrieking that regularly surpasses 100 decibels on the "grunt-o-meter." Sharapova is laughing all the way to the bank -- she has three Grand Slam titles and a huge endorsement portfolio.
The Williams Sisters: Venus and Serena are known for their big serves, big returns and even bigger noises on the court. The sisters have grunted and shrieked their way to a combined 20 major titles, each reportedly hitting 90 decibels during match play. Want them to shut up? You'll have to knock them out of the tournament.
Others to listen for: Victoria Azarenka is ranked No. 5 in the world but is known more for her shrieking than her tennis. In a match on Monday, Azarenka hit 95 decibels on the grunt-o-meter with shrieks that extended more than 1.5 seconds. Another up-and-comer is Portuguese player Michelle Larcher de Brito, whose shrieking has reportedly reached 109 decibels. She received an unofficial warning at the 2009 French Open.
I agree with Ritchie that the grunting and shrieking has reached ludicrous levels. But calling for a ban is not a practical solution. What can really be done? Put muzzles on the players? Disqualify them for excessive noise that surpasses a particular level on the grunt-o-meter?
Ritchie recommends that players bothered by the excessive noise complain to the umpire, as Navratilova did against Seles in 1992. But that's neither practical nor realistic, likely resulting in excessive gamesmanship -- yes, even beyond what we already see in the overdramatic world of tennis.
If fans stop showing up to the matches between the grunters or actually turn off the television when excessive grunters take the court during a Grand Slam match, then maybe we'll see some real results.
Hopefully, those who say they can't possibly play without making noise will re-evaluate their commitment to this distracting habit. Navratilova, Chris Evert, Steffi Graf, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic have managed to do pretty well without it.
Until then, I recommend earplugs and the mute button.
