(Newser)
–
Enough with the grunting already, say Wimbledon officials who have grown tired of what they consider to be distracting roars made by the tournament's female competitors. With shrieks hitting 105 decibels (here's looking at you, Maria Sharapova), the unladylike grunts are ruining the game, say the officials, and need to be toned down. “We have discussed it with the tours and we believe it is helpful to reduce the amount of grunting.” says Ian Ritchie, the head of the All England Lawn and Tennis Club, which hosts the famous tournament.
“I think there is an education problem with younger players," says Ritchie. "And certainly my postbag, if you say 'what do you get most letters about,’ I would say that grunting is high up." Players have the ability to complain if their opponent is too loud, but these days many competitors like to grunt, reports the Telegraph. “People can do whatever they want but I hope they can respect all the players who grunt, which are about 70% of the whole tour,” says Victoria Azarenka, the world's No. 4 player, whose grunts have registered at 95 decibels and typically last at least 1.5 seconds. “I have been doing it since I was 10 years old."
