To Grunt or Not To Grunt? The WTA Answers the Question

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To Grunt or Not To Grunt? The WTA Answers the Question

By Erwin Ong

Photo Credit: Natasha Peterson / Corleve

Victoria Azarenka grunting - Indian Wells 2012 -

(June 27, 2012) -- One of tennis' nagging public relations problems -- grunting -- finally gets addressed by the WTA this summer.

At a meeting held at Wimbledon, representatives from the four majors, the International Tennis Federation, and the WTA Players' Council drafted a strategy for officiating grunts through the use of a yet-to-be-developed handheld device that will measure decibel levels (others are already on the market, and have measured players' grunts) and by establishing rules for the levels of acceptable noise.

The new rules would not affect the current crop of top WTA players, whose grunts have become an inherent part of their successful games (see: Maria Sharapova, Victora Azarenka, Francesca Schiavone). The argument goes that asking established professionals to "go grunt-less" might be a detriment to their games and, ultimately, to the sport. Thus, the focus is on the juniors: "It's time for us to drive excessive grunting out of the game for future generations," WTA chairman and CEO Stacey Allaster told USA Today.

The culture change would involve outreach and education at academies and at junior- and lower WTA-level events, to address any noise issues before the players get to the main stage.