Why hasn't Maria Sharapova been sanctioned?

Question

Is there anybody around who actually believes she needs to make the ridiculously loud noises she makes when she plays, which have been actually rated by sound meter to be as loud as an ambulance siren ?

It's so obvious she is doing this for an unfair advantage. Sure, many tennis players make noise when they hit the ball, but nothing even remotely compared to her. I think she's very sneaky and has gotten away with this for way too long.

I know for a fact that given the shrieks she emits, sounding as if she's being murdered half the time, that even the most professional tennis players with the best concentration, get unnerved,

It's just too hard to ignore this banshee....I think there is an innate human response when we hear a scream that sounds like somebody's being murdered... that it makes us tense up, if not freeze up. I think this is what happens to a lot of her opponents, and I think she's well aware of this. Why has she been allowed to get away with this for so many years?

Answer 1

She's annoying and she's not even all that hot like some of these pedophiles and high school cheerleaders make her out to be; Hantuchova and Jankovic are much prettier than her.... Anyways I always had a problem with her shrieks and screams. To be honest, I don't have a problem with it when it's at a normal level, but sometimes she just screams soo loud and its soo annoying that she should get warning for it and lose points if it continues. It's obvious that she wants to annoy her opponent to win....

Answer 2

Many, many, many, many players grunt. It isn't against the rules. So do soccer players, basball players and fighters. It helps you breathe, stay loose, focus and encourages you to swing out with your all. The majority of pro tennis players do it. I teach my students to do the same. If your not grunting, your not trying. Get over it.

Answer 3

I have to respond to the issue of grunting not being againt any rules. According to The Code, under Hindrance Issues:

"36. Grunting. A player should avoid grunting and making other loud noises. Grunting and other loud noises may bother not only opponents but also players on adjacent courts. In an extreme case, an opponent or a player on an adjacent court may seek the assistance of the Referee or a Roving Umpire. The Referee or official may treat grunting and the making of loud noises as a hindrance. Depending upon the circumstance, this could result in a let or loss of point."

It seems to be a rule that is totally ignored and never enforced for some reason. Clearly officials COULD enforce this, they choose not to do so.

Answer 4

I totally agree Mark!

Answer 5

I think that her screaming is very unnecessary. You're right, I've never thought of it that way, but she does sound like she is getting murdered.

If I was a player on the Tour playing her, I would complain to the umpire and keep complaining until she stopped. There is no reason way she needs to scream every time she hits the ball. She even screams when she is serving.

There are some players, male and female, who to grunt when they are getting tired or if the point is really long. But she is loud and obnoxious with her "grunt."

Answer 6

...because she is a money spinner.

Sharapova attracts male audience to female tennis, for WTA's benefit.

Sharapova can play tennis, no doubt, but the ways she behaves on the court are absolutely not on.

Perhaps she sees tennis as a job, not as a sport...shame!

Answer 7

but you know,the big problem with it,is that if you ever notice that in some strokes she seems to start the shriek before the actual follow-through on her strokes,(and some commentators have actually brought this point up a number of occasions)and that's when i begin to get suspicious.

i dunno if she should be sanctioned for the actual shriek itself because she has been doing since her jr. days but i do feel the wta managers should really look at some of her matches and really analyse it when she's hitting shots because as i said,she does it sometimes before she even hits the ball all the way through. and yes,she has been able to control it...today,even,i saw a moment in the match where she didn't make a sound at all so i dunno....

i think in certain moments,it's a natural reaction and in certain moments it seems a bit of the drama queen coming out in her...

Answer 8

I dunno, I think it's part force of habit and part gamesmanship.  She's been doing it so long, it's now just a part of her stroke.  Could she stop doing it?  Sure, if she were pressured to do so, but like McEnroe's rants during the 80's the tour will give a lot of leeway to their stars.  As far as whether or not this gives her an unfair advantage, I don't really think so at this level.  You know what to expect from her when you walk on the court, sort of like Ivanovic's deliberately squeaking her shoes before her opponent's serve on hard courts - you just tune it out.  And I'm not a particular fan of her's, I think she's overrated - I think Safina's handling of her is proof of that. My personal favorite on the women's side is Dementieva - although I think she's pretty much peaked.

Answer 9

because her dad is with the mafia, haha.-

who knows, maybe screaming isn't ilegal, just annoying.-

:)

Answer 10

She is the loudest and the most annoying, I agree. But think about what you're saying. She should be sanctioned because she is above a certain decibel level. And what's the criticel decibal level? The loudest that your favorite player shrieks?  Don't you see how subjective this is?

All shrieking is annoying and equally distracting. But modern players have gotten used to it, to the point where it doesn't really distract anymore.

*EDIT*

They did introduce a grunt meter back in the days of Monica Seles. She was the first person to really popularize shrieking. But it never became permanent. Back then the players wanted Seles to stop shrieking. Today I can't say players really care either way. There isn't enough drive on the ground to make something like that stick. This is a problem that needed to be cut in the bud, but once it was allowed to grow, you have no choice but to live with it. It's just part of the modern game now.

Answer 11

wtf? if you are really concentrated on something, u wouldn't be distracted by anything.. that's how u win..

and what if she's not champion. what if she's always the underdog, would this still be a big issue?

she's my wife man.. just being defensive. lolz

Answer 12

Totally agree.. Can't even watch her play.  Kudos to Safina!

Answer 13

I gotta agree its the most annoying shriek out there.But if she gets sanctioned then they will have to 'ban' shrieking completely, which will be hard to do considering almost everyone grunts(well,Maria shrieks) and some how its only natural.Just that Sharapova takes it way out of hand.

sometimes i feel like stuffing those tennis balls down her mouth so she'll just shut up..jeeez!

Answer 14

Yes, I agree it is a very annoying sound but there is nothing in the rules that says against it. I personally most of her opponents rarely get distracted by it and even if they do they probably get used to after the first three games.

Answer 15

Navratilova, I respect her greatly, said the Sharapova problem is she often shrieks after she hits the ball - and that means her opponent can't hear the sound the ball makes on the racket - and that is important.

Clearly the shriek is gamesmanship - how can she be sanctioned? Unfortunately a lot of this sort of thing has come into the game because $$$$$$$$ are at stake.

The longer she plays the less effective the shriek will become, because the newer players will be coached to play

knowing her 'game' and so she will not win too many tournaments.

I mute the sound when she is on.

Sadly you still have to look at her wicked Diva looks, but I don't think she'll be in too many semi-finals from now on.

Answer 16

Like it or not, it's her trademark, at least one of them, along with her gorgeous long legs, blond hair, strong femininity, fierce determination, and aggressive hitting.

Answer 17

I agree completely.

If shrieking like that is part of the women's game now then I can't take it seriously.  Sorry women, blame Sharapova.