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Nicely written article, informality of the meeting, building to enlightenment with the concept of adaption over pressure, then lead balloon when 鈥漡runting鈥� is mentioned.

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Who cares if people are struggling to warm to her? Serena Williams is one of the whiniest, least sporting players in living memory. 13 singles majors says it all, compared to the still impressive but substantially fewer seven singles majors won by her sister, who is a far more likeable character. Besides, Azarenka is certainly not without her supporters. True, a lot of them are probably men who fancy her, but the same goes for female fans hollering Nadal when he takes his shirt off. The bottom line is that, for all the 'warmth' of Wozniacki, Jankovic, and Safina (well, maybe forget the last one), they were all underwhelming world #1's, at least on the major stage. Azarenka has earned her #1 spot, and long may her reign continue. We're lucky to now have the #1 ranking contested between two current Grand Slam champions (Azarenka and Kvitova) and a resurgent Sharapova. All of them would be worthy of the accolade, which is more than you can say for some of the recent contenders.

"Grunting" I'd be prepared to deal with, mostly though it is closer to screeching. I quite like watching tennis but I simply turn it off if I am going to be subjected to this constant irritating noise. I can't be the only person that thinks like this. Surely it has to be damaging the value of the sport to sponsors.

Its a shame because everything I read about Azarenka sounds like she's a great champion and great to watch, and I'd like to watch her more, but I physically can't stand watching/listening to a women's match with all the shrieking. I would watch them on mute, but I miss the commentry then. Someone please invent a solution!

Grunting itself is not much of a problem - But I have seen female tennis players (usually whilst under pressure in a game) overuse/amplify their grunt quite blatantly to put off the opposition. This is disgraceful and they should be docked points. Sharapova springs to mind

4. At 10:06 19th Mar 2012, Stotty15 wrote:
I would watch them on mute, but I miss the commentry then. Someone please invent a solution!
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You already have the solution - mute the sound; unless, of course, you don't have the "adaptability" to enjoy tennis by just watching it and allowing your own mental processes to decide what is happening.

I've had to do this over the last 5 years for all sports, having moved to Poland and not picked up a full enough understanding of the language.

It is amazing how soon you won't be missing the endless drivel, especially during the F1 and the football.

Ideally, I'd like a way to mute the commentary and would be perfectly happy to put up with the crowd noise and the 'grunting'..... Someone please invent that solution!

So two people for the Azarenka press conference? Was there assigned seats or could you chose where to sit? :) .. Azarenka's current form and run is very impressive. However, as have already been eluded to by another poster, it's very difficult to 'warm' to Azarenka. The constant grunting, screaming, whatever you prefer to call it. The final must have been a decibel night mare and if the US had decent 'Health and Safety' rules, could well have been stopped due to risk for hearing damage (I imagine).

Nice article; quite jealous of anyone who get's basically a one-on-one press conference with Viki!
She's done really well this year, but we probably shouldn't forget going into the Aussie open we were looking at the list of players who could win it and there was a lot. I personally considered Serena, Wozniaki, Stosur, Li Na, Kvitova, Azarkena, Zvonerava and Sharapova. You could have made a case for any of them and given Azarkena's grand slam record hers would have arguably been the weakest.
Incredibly, I think now we're really dealing with two separate questions; 1) who can overtake her as number one and 2) who can beat her in a slam.
I think realistically only Kvitova can get ahead of her in the competition to be number one (Williams, even if fit, will never play enough events).
However, in a slam, it's completely different. I don't think even playing as well as she is now she'd have beaten Stosur in the US and we know that on clay she could quite easily lose to someone who can play the surface like Schiavone. Then, as impressed as I am to see her laugh off pressure so far, going into Wimbledon as world number one will almost certainly feel completely different to anything she's experienced so far!

I enjoy women's tennis to a point, but never would I watch it other than slams and the only reason I watch it then is because they play whilst the men are playing. Why they get paid the same for less work and less entertainment is a mystery to me.

The grunting, well screeching and screaming really, has made it virtually unwatchable for me. Turning the sound down doesn't work, sorry it's only Johnny Macs commentary that makes it remotely interesting to watch.

'Pressure is over-rated' yet she chokes in every Grand Slam? Something doesn't quite add up.

I have been thoroughly impressed with Azarenka, and it would be fair to say she is doing a Djokovic this season. Particularly, more than her game (she always had it in within her to beat the best players), mentally she is so much more stronger, again very similar to Djokovic's transformation last year. She doesn't seem to be fazed or frustrated when she is down (breaking rackets or mumbling constantly), a classic example would be against Clijsters in AO semis, where I thought she played extremely well. Perhaps that's why this renewed sense of confidence as well as the scoffing of pressure as being 'over-rated', but the statement is truly justified considering how well she is playing at the moment. I firmly believe women's tennis is in a great state right now, with multiple slam champions and numerous contenders for majors, so not a hint of predictability. Though yes, I think Azarenka can go on dominate up until at least the French Open. She has played extremely well on clay in the past, and I think she can win the French Open. Realistically, the only players who have the game to beat her are Kvitova or Sharapova (though she really needs to work on cutting her unforced errors dramatically and be a bit more patient), and probably on a very good day, Stosur (although Azarenka would seriously need to have a very bad off-day). Azarenka could win 3 grand slams this year, she loves the court conditions in the U.S, but I think she still needs to develop her game for grass (mainly her serve) if she is to win Wimbledon. She is deservedly the number 1 player without a doubt, and it is great for women's tennis to have players such as her and Wozniacki, who are funny, charming, and great ambassadors at the top of the game.

Finally, the issue of grunting. Yes it is painful at times and a put off to many people, but I don't mind it either. The likes of Sharapova and Azarenka have been doing this since they were 7-8 years old, and as Azarenka said at the AO, she started doing it since, as a child, she was very weak, and had to work harder in order to invest more in her groundstrokes, and its an intrinsic part of her game. They aren't doing it on purpose!! I can only hope it doesn't affect the sport, but as Jonathan pointed out with the AO final, it clearly seems to have.

How do you distinguish between those that are putting it on and those that simply do it because of the effort they are exerting?

I don't get the feeling that players like Nadal make noises to put his opponents off, just when he hits a particularly venomous forehand.

I think with others it is a lot more obvious that they are using it to gain some sort of advantage (i.e. putting off the other player) - Azarenka's hoots don't seem like something you'd naturally start doing as soon as you hit a tennis ball...

If they found a technological solution to vuvuzelas at the WC, would think someone would find a way to mute the truly astounding screaming that goes on in most WTA matches. Maybe too late for the tennis powers to do anything about this abhorrent behavior, but if fans keep voting with their wallets, they may have to take the plunge in spite of their cowardice. Wonder if the the boys at Wimbledon will be willing to take this on? After all, they do still enforce the 'white only' rule.

Great interview, thanks Jonathan. I have been waiting a couple of years for Azarenka to break through but never thought it would be in this astonishing fashion. Love the modernity of her approach - the earphones coming on court, the tweeting : makes the male players seem very boring.

As for the grunting this is a debate I am so sick of and have long thought is just another example of British sexism aimed at women in sport: is it any wonder we have no top players? I bet a lot of the people who complain actually watch that absurd sport Formula One, but do you hear complaints about the noise that Button/Hamilton make? Do you heck (being polite for moderation purposes).

I've seen Azarenka warm up/train on the practice courts at some tournaments and she doesn't grunt hardly at all. Azarenka is naturally not likeable but is talented, sometimes you can't have everything in life. Once Kvitova is back to full fitness she will give her a run for her money, but Serena too I wouldn't be surprised if she is the first to beat her this year! I for one can't wait for Miami! COME ON STOSUR! A true lady of the WTA tour.

Some of you are just silly. Unless you are watching a match being commented on By McEnroe Martina or some of the Real pros or any of the Brits! One has to turn down the gross amount of inane garbage spewing fro the mouths of the commentators.
I turn the sound down just to keep my sanity.
As far as Victoria goes, she is taking womens tennis to another place. Zen. She has with the above comments transcended the illusion of pressure and all that. Keep it simple. ENJOY YOUR LIFE! If all I had to do was complain about grunting I think I'd have to take a look at my life and see that I was clearly missing something beautiful.
Good luck haters.
AND all Good Vibes to the New Master Of womens tennis on earth
Victoria Azarenka!!!!!!!!! Keep rocking!!

Delighted the grunting question is topical. I have loved tennis all my life, but simply cannot watch (listen) to some of the women. Surely, in the entertainment world you're meant to get paid for selling tickets and as such, I'd like to know how many tuned in to watch Djokovic v Nadal at the Oz Open, and Azarenka v Sharapova - the players should then get paid accordingly. Perhaps that will inhibit the screaming, so people like me can enjoy watching women's tennis again.

I don't mind the grunting/shrieking at all - quite like it in fact! I have read a few things previously which suggest there is a good reason for it - something to do with helping you to channel your energy so that it all goes into the shot and other parts of your body are relieved of tension at the same time. I think it is fairly common in some other sports eg the throwing disciplines in athletics. I can understand that there is potential for abusing it given the rule in tennis regarding players causing a deliberate hindrance to other players during a point but to be honest I would rather this rule was changed rather than a new rule created to stop the grunter/shriekers. Let them all shout out or bang their racket off the ground at the right moment - I think that would add to the entertainment!
I'm also tired of hearing the argument that if a player doesn't do something in practice then they don't need to do it in a match. Grunting or shrieking seems to be related to creating added intensity to a shot - is it really such a shock that a player doesn't always want to create this intensity during practice? Just look at any of the players in practice and you will see many differences - how hard they hit, how long they take to prepare before a serve, what they wear, how often they take breaks, how many balls they hold in their hand etc.
Also I saw it mentioned above that the AO final wasn't a sell out - I'm not convinced this was directly related to the grunting or shrieking of the two players involved. I don't want to get into it here but it's not too hard to come up with some other reasons that these two players were not the preferred finalists for many spectators. And isn't it nice and convenient that we can use the noise that they make to somehow devalue their achievements?

23-0 match winning streak in the mens game is nothing now but in the womens game it is like a miricle,given the consistancy or the complete lack of it.it is unreal.i dont particulary like her or her attitude but her consistancy is unheralded since henin.her game is striking resemblence of djokovic but she is a homeless man version,whereas murray is a poor mans version(i love murray but it is true),no real waeknesses(womens standard anyway) and mentally in it.but my personal opinion kvitova is a better player,when both at their best kvitova wins,she won 4 out of 4 last year v azarenka all in important matches(fedcup,madrid mandatory final,wimbledon semi,wta championship final).but her consistancy is a completely different story.i personaly think serena is the best followed by aza and kvitova,sharapova is a 1 dimensional loser

@10. Choking in every grand slam except the one she won this year you mean?

So Azarenka wants to stay humble now that she is no.1? By wearing a t-shirt with the 'Unstoppable' slogan is the way to go...

On the grunting, players say they can't 'help it'. I'm sure if the WTA/ITF starts docking points / sets, it would stop pretty quickly.

She deserves it! By contrast, Andy Murray may need careful or a bit worried about his chance, even with Lendl who is not GOD!!! ...