Updated On: 30 January, 2026 08:20 AM IST | Mumbai | A Correspondent
Grunting on the tennis court has long sparked debate, but some of the sport’s biggest names insist it is instinctive rather than intentional. Maria Sharapova says she has grunted since childhood and never planned it, while Victoria Azarenka maintains it is simply part of expressing herself on court, noting that men grunt too

Aryna Sabalenka, Maria Sharapova, Victoria Azarenka, Serena Williams and Monica Seles. Pics/AFP
Maria Sharapova: I’ve been grunting since I was a kid. It’s just instinctive. It’s not planned or I never thought about it while playing. It just came naturally. You either do it or you don’t.
