Why do female tennis players grunt?

Question

I think tennis is a pretty g*y sport. I am aware that male tennis players grunt as well. But it is mostly the female players who grunt the loudest. I don't buy that the grunt helps them hit harder. Otherwise I would expect to hear baseball players grunt when they hit the ball. I think the reason is to make the sport just a little more interesting since it is woefully boring.

Answer 1

Probably to distract players and even more a force of habit.

Never understood the whole grunting thing cause you can definitely exhale quietly when you hit rather then grunt....

Answer 2

because they are hitting the tennis ball at 80-120 MPH

Answer 3

they're expelling air.

guys "grunt" too... just not as high-pitched as Sharapova. ;)

Answer 4

Well some players do it naturally because of the way they hit the ball and how hard they strike it whereas others do it as an act of distraction:

For instance you can tell Rafa Nadal does it because it is a by-product of how much power he puts into a shot, you can see what I mean on weaker shots he does when he doesn't grunt at all and then on his massive forehands he is very loud. Also, Federer doesn't grunt normally but you can hear it sometimes when he does a powerful kick 2nd Serve as he is putting so much effort into the shot.

However, I haven't seen a female player do it because of the power (except maybe a few shots by the Williams sisters, but even then they scream on purpose), Sharapova is a prime example because when she begins to lose in a match her screams become mistimed and she yells before she hits the ball.

Summation: I would say the men are more likely to grunt because of the power they put into a shot, whereas the women who grunt general are using shady tactics to distract a player.

Answer 5

The thought that female players grunt to distract their opponents is absurd. Many male players grunt when they hit the ball; it's just more noticeable when the girls do it. Haven't you heard a guy like Janko Tipsarevic? He sounds like he's constipated or something...Andy Roddick was completely flustered by the noises, and it's probably one of the main reasons he lost to him at Wimbledon.

EDIT: This is just a little too much from Sharapova

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xsiyz_-be...

Answer 6

cus they saw me

Answer 7

Why does a bear s*** in the forest?

Answer 8

guys grunt too. I think it has something to do with the adrenal gland and how it releases adrenaline which helps put power behind your swing. its almost subconscious

Answer 9

Hahaha. s**y#1Rafa. I disagree with you. It gives sound effect to distract the other player. You are d**n funny and strange haha So do you think that when Rafa grunts, especially when he says "Vamos" decently loud, he is distracting Federer so he can't break him when he put those d**n slices in the net?

Well to answer your question, people grunt b/c they feel they hit the ball harder and sometimes have more control. It's true b/c when I play tennis, and i grunt, i feel like im not hitting the ball not too hard, or soft, but with an "umph."

Answer 10

honestly, I hate when people say it's too distract the other players. I don't think so at all. When I play, I grunt and it's something that I can't control. The biggest grunters in the women's game are Serena, Venus and Maria, and if you notice they hit the ball pretty hard; they're power players. So I believe their grunts are so loud because they are putting so much effort into hitting the ball.

Answer 11

Why only female players!!!!!!Male n female both grunts nd that's very obvious when they r putting so much effort on each ball n hitting the ball so hard.....

U c they don't sit at the home n make commentary nd asking ###### ques lke this!!!!!!!!!!!

I mean its really a silly ques man came with some good 1 next time.......

Answer 12

They are giving off a lot of energy. It helps their breathing pattern. Men grunt also like Nadal.

Answer 13

Male tennis players grunt grunt too, but not as high-pitched as Maria Sharapova. When Rafael Nadal grunt, he sometime says 'vamos'.

Answer 14

im a high school player and we learned this at tennis camp.

people in tennis grunt because its a way of breathing and relaxing the muscles when you hit the ball. If you dont breath right then the muscles tighten up and it can cause many errors, therefore people "grunt" to help them breath.

it also intimidates the other players but mostly for the reason above because if you "grunt" to mess up other players they can call a let against you. And not only female players grunt, males do it all the time too.  

Answer 15

lol. that game is pretty tiring that's why.

Answer 16

in tennis when you hit the ball your strength is supposed to come from your legs and your torso and by grunting they tighten up their abs so they can put more energy behind the ball... also it gets their breathing at a steady pace and makes it easier to get into a rhythm

Answer 17

i play tennis and i never did until i was playing in a match. when your playing, grunting helps you breathe. it is kinda hard to control too, so whne people say that they shouldnt grunt, players are not focused on that, they are more focused on the game itself. but all players grunt to breathe.

Answer 18

Because their hitting the ball pretty hard, its to give sound effect really and put the other player off.

Answer 19

Grunting helps with getting your timing down, or saying any word for that matter, such as yes, yes, yes.

Answer 20

The first tennis player I noticed doing it was Steffi Graf, in the '80s. Maybe they're just copying her style now.

Answer 21

Male tennis players "grunt" too.  Tennis is a strenuous game

Answer 22

male players do that too. It's because they are putting alotta effort into the raquet, so that sound comes out. It's not a good habit, as my coach says. He doesnt let my class make a noise, not even breathe like a *sigh* when you hit it. He was about to make me run a mile because of that!!!