The first cries of players on the courts date back to 1959, if the old glories of tennis are to be believed, but it was not until the 1990s to find serial “howlers”. Among the men, we remember Jimmy Connors or Andre Agassi, great specialists in slab on court.
The phenomenon has continued to grow since then, to the point that the very serious BBC launched in 2015 a “grunt-o-meter” (grunt: grunt in English) to measure the cry of players. The now retired Maria Sharapova reached 101 decibels – as much as an unbridled motorbike – and the Belarusian Victoria Azarenka 95 dB.
It’s a winning strategy, according to science: A 2014 Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research study estimated 4.9% more power when serving when shouting when hitting the ball – a Another study estimates a 3.8% gain when trading.
