There should be a rule against sreaming loudly on every hit of the ball. Its a form of cheating as your opponent cannot hear the ball being hit and it's distracting. Not to mention annoying for those watching...the fans.
Watching her having hitting practice at full pace on the outside courts, not a banshee yell is heard - funny that. She was taught to scream while hitting by her coach in her early teens to help with distracting opponents and covering the different types of noise coming from the ball strike.
Wayne Kerr yes, its very true. That kind of yell is not natural, made to cover your ball hitting sounds which the opponent can use to judge the spin and stroke penetration.
Seles started it (at least she was the first player I heard doing that)... i used to hate watching matches with her in it for that reason, and became a staunch Graff supporter too :)
There's a difference between the noises you make when you are exerting yourself and noises you make to try to trip up your opponent. This is the later and should be classified as cheating.
Do you know how many tennis players to this and always have and still do and nobody has ever said a word or complained.... I mean i would consider cheating doing what Serena and her coach got caught doing in the u.s open a few years ago when her coach was "coaching" (that's what it's called) her from the stands behind the oppenent via hand signals and the umpire caught onto it and told the coach to stop and then Serena got all "triggered" and accusing the umpire of accusing her of cheating and demanded an apology from him (which he didn't give) and then she kept rampaging and threw her racket and then kept on going at the umpire and then started talking crap about his family (later the coach admitted that he was coaching her and giving hand signals which is 100% against the rules in any major tournament and has always been against the rules and is known by everyone)
@@richardgrace5043 This isn't about Serena and Maria. It's about Maria.. It doesn't matter how many players grunt or shriek. It wasn't done before Monica Seles. Just because Serena's coach tried to cheat and because other players grunt doesn't justify Maria's attempt at cheating. Maria never made a sound while she was practicing. Her screeches got louder and longer as the match got tighter toward the end. It was a tactic to distract the other player and keep them from hearing the sound of their racket hitting the ball. And she took drugs. Cheat-er.
Azarenka is another one, a scream/wail that would last well after the ball strike and continue sometimes after the other player hit a return. But magically her wail cuts off every single time she hits the ball into the net. Every single time. It’s magic that her maximum effort screech isn’t necessary any more once the ball hits the net.
Well yeah it's like golf, after they hit the ball, they generally keep the golf club in the air until the ball lands. It's not like she's doing it for fun, it clearly makes her perform better.
@@Jotaro-o That might work once or twice, but you eventually get used to it. Not worth doing if it doesn't help you and have to rely on the opponent getting distracted
Screaming itself is not a major problem.A lot of players grunt naturally.But with sharapova it seems like a deliberate scream.If you look closely,she screams after her shot to put off her opponent,in this case Li Na.
As hot as she is, I have to mute the volume if I watch her play (Azarenka too). Its so unnecessary and I can only assume its a tactic to break the opposition's concentration. Unfair play.
ElSpewtardo You don't know what you're talking about I'm afraid. It's a matter which has been hotly debated for a while now by tennis authorities and professionals alike and it's widely regarded by those in the know that this level of grunting is not involuntary. It is in fact not grunting at all but screaming and shouting and is absolutely used tactically. Many people have observed Sharapova training and she doesn't make a peep, just like Seles did and Azarenka does, she uses it to affect the concentration of the opponent where as Serena uses it more sporadically to intimidate the opponent when in the ascendancy. You quite often will hear other female players grunting when really exerting themselves in matches but it sounds natural, nothing like this screaming nonsense. The WTA have been discussing plans to try and regulate this kind of thing but are struggling to come up with a way of measuring what is and is not acceptable as a grunt and how to enforce it (i.e. prove that the player is faking it etc.). You shouldn't call people retards when they're talking sense, professional tennis pundits repeatedly say the same exact thing as Joey when discussing this matter... I don't know why you're sticking up for something which is considered to be borderline cheating, bad etiquette and generally really annoying
She does hit the ball as hard in training... What? you think she just suddenly starts hitting it harder in matches? Do you really think players don't repeatedly practice hitting the ball as hard as possible in preparation for when they need to do it in matches?? Again proving you don't have actual in depth knowledge on this sport at the highest level. It hasn't been hotly debated for *over 20 years* so don't try pulling facts out of the sky... it was frowned upon by many in the days of Seles but since Sharapova, Azarenka, Larcher De Brito etc. have come along it has become a hotly debated subject yes, say roughly over the last 5-6 years or so. I'm not making out anything, it *is* a controversial subject at the moment... fact... Most people agree it shouldn't be allowed because it is used tactically but like I said they're still discussing possible techniques to regulate it in future. I also didn't say it was a *cheating tactic*, I said it was *borderline* cheating... it's a very grey area as they haven't yet defined exactly what is and what is not acceptable. When they manage to update the rules on this matter it wont be adios anyone as they'll have to simply stop with the ridiculous blood curdling screams, they'll still be able to play just fine... for what it's worth I think Nadal's grunting is acceptable, it certainly doesn't fall in to the category of these screaming women...
So when tv pundits are discussing tennis issues on tv between matches why when discussing this matter do they say she doesn't grunt in training? Don't know why you're so biased in this issue? are you a grunter yourself?
I'm not a git, you're a biased twat. Look at this video wwwDOTyoutubeDOTcom/watch?v=Qm69TPmPbPo (change DOT to .). Start watching from 9:30, she starts all out hitting at that point and not a sound. At 10:05 she starts making a few small grunts, they'e natural and not over the top at all like the screaming she does in matches. Keep watching to the end and you'll see she never comes anywhere near to screaming even when hitting the ball as hard as she can on the run at full stretch. If she practices on other occasions with the full screaming its because she's practicing for when she uses it in her matches. This video proves it is NOT involuntary so just piss off with your biased views once and for all and take your nose out of Sharapova's ass
2 and a half months later and that's the best you could come up with? You're clearly in denial, please stop now it's embarrassing... Go back and read my comment which got +6, she doesn't grunt, she screams, ergo bad sportsmanship/etiquette. The day screaming is eradicated from this sport will be a great day for tennis as people like Sharapova who shamelessly care nothing for sportsmanship and fairness wont be able to use it to distract and intimidate their opponents
It's games man ship at the least and I think there should be rules enforced about such things on all players including Maria she really does not need it it's total bs .
God I love Australian fans! They're so enthusiastic, and usually really good to the players. Maria's "grunt" is too much, and I love how all of them gave her crap for it.
That laughter is the most authentic sound of people seeing through her BS. You can't script such a reaction. The laughter only shows how "obvious" it is to the people watching.
@@Glen.Danielsen awww that's cute. I'll have to look her up for sure, I grew up watching tennis with my mom, but I don't remember a Li Na at all. As im writing this I ask my mom about her, and she told me she knew about her. Saying she inspired more Chinese players to play.
The best thing is the voice over! The guy is basically saying that whenever the score gets close, she knocks it up a notch by squeaking an octave higher
There is nothing wrong with grunting in tennis. But, when you scream to hit the ball and your scream CARRIES on after you hit the ball (a la Azarenka and Sharapova), and up until your opponent hits the ball, then there is the problem.
When you scream like that your opponent can't hear when the ball is hit properly. You can hear that effect in the video. Since the match is fast, hearing when the ball is struck is important since seeing it might make you be a bit slow in reacting. Her scream is throwing her opponent off.
There's fact which is unrelated to Sharapova's grunting: this is actually the late bloomer Li Na's first appearance in a grand slam tournament at almost 23, she made it to the 3rd round and lost to Sharapova 06 26 in this match.
It's different for everyone because everyone has a different way to control their breathing while hitting the ball. These noises/grunts really do help. I play tennis and occasionally during times where I need to hit the ball very hard, Grunts help
I noticed this in the gym. If I am on my last repitions of a set, I do start to grunt. It even takes me a few moments to realise that I am doing it. So yeah, I belive some players just don't notice themselves doing it.
Maria critics obviously have never seen her off court interviews or inter-actions....she's actually a genuinely lovely fun natured person unfortunately subject to harsh criticism from jealous under achievers ...but there will always be haters & she'll always be beautiful....ha!
+bazking Thanks for clearing up your beliefs - nothing to do with tennis. You think she's beautiful - so you got a boner for her. Good for you. But she only likes girls. So you're SOL. And the topic is that she's breaking the rules with her ridiculous orgasmic noises. She only gets away with it because others like you have a boner for her. So if she was ugly, she should get a warning instead of a speeding ticket. Sorry - that's the problem with society. What is acceptable behavior depends on your body.
It's not even a grunt it's a high pitched 'whooooo', after she takes a deep rasping inspiration. I don't blame them for laughing (at her); it's absolutely ridiculous. Just imagine Fedora or Rafa coming out with such rot - at least they give a good grunt when they hit a very forceful ball. This (Sharapova) shit should be banned. It (she) makes a laughing stock of what is once was a great game.
There is a documentary on how the pros are taught at a very young age to yell as they hit to distract/confuse their opponent. Not only does it work but they have been training newer generations to scream even louder.
I think they were laughing because halfway through the point Maria's howl changed into something different. She started holding on to the end until the ball was on Li's court. I usually don't mind the grunting but what puts me off about Maria's is that she changes it and often during points. People complain about Vika's but at least Vika is consistent with her howl.
Notice that for most of these sounds, it doesn't coincide with the time of hitting the ball. She waits a half second to make it more interfering for the opponent.
This sort of grunting should be punished with a penalty point or two…some of the best champions never indulged in this kind of thing…it's very distracting & puts of most players In an intense match it's almost like crowd trouble, strangely women seem to do it more
supersalty "your "so called facts" are nothing more than an opinion of a simple mind"no they were just facts. learn to be humble when youre shown your errors. everyone is wrong occasionally.
She should be banned until she stops doing that. Not even a noise of exertion it's a ridiculous sound to put off the other player. Blatant cheating and she got to the top with it. If she wasn't attractive they would have banned and fined her years ago.
I don't think you realize how hard she's hitting those balls. If you're hitting that hard, you'd be grunting too. She can keep up with Serena and Maria is tiny compared to Serena. Keep that in perspective.
Chelsea Wang She isn't grunting she's making a ridiculous noise. There is a big difference between somebody grunting and going "WOOO!". You can't explain it as exertion it's something she would have had to train herself to do. Grunting is acceptable all players do it. What she does is to distract the other player which is one reason she wins.
I can understand where she's coming from and what you're saying is a possibility. I just feel for her because a lot of the great tennis she plays sometimes is overshadowed because she's not taken seriously. She's a woman, blonde, tall, beautiful, grunts like crazy, and because of that her talents as a tennis player get downplayed often. I just think the tennis community is sometimes overly harsh toward their female players vs. male players. Almost all the top women tennis players are criticized for factors outside their tennis game. Also maybe she grunts because of the nerves and just the mental state you're in when you're playing to win? I breathe differently and think differently when I play to win vs. playing just for fun.
i understand grunting when you hit it, cause you’re going at for hours and hours it’s gonna get tiring. but literally soundin like princess peach ain’t right 😂😂💀💀💀
That’s such BS! Martina Navratilova had it right when she called it cheating. It covers the sound of the ball when it’s hit. I naturally make a slight noise when I hit a deep baseline shot and I’m exhausted but like any other player, you could not here it unless you were standing near the baseline on my side of the court.
