Wimbledon is to clamp down on players who grunt and scream their way through matches.

It follows complaints at recent tournaments about an increase in on-court noise. Umpires at Wimbledon will now be asked to monitor the top women players to see if the level of shrieks “hinders” opponents.

The new roof installed on Centre Court to prevent rain disruption could make the situation even worse. All England Club sources say the noise from racket meeting ball is “more profound” when the roof is closed.

A source said: “It's a whole new ball game. The closed roof could create a vacuum and increase the volume level of grunting.

“We don't want to be seen as too harsh, but umpires will have powers to award points to opponents if it is felt that the noise is unfairly hindering play. Nobody likes these awful grunting noises. They are off-putting, but it is up to an opponent to complain to an umpire, who will then consider if any action is necessary.”

Many top players cannot perform without grunting, including champion Serena Williams and former winner Maria Sharapova. Martina Navratilova first brought the problem to attention in the Nineties after losing a semi-final to champion grunter Monica Seles.

More recently Navratilova has complained about the volume of shouting by Portuguese player Michelle Larcher De Brito. The 16-year-old has been measured at 109 decibels — just 11 decibels short of the noise a plane makes when taking off.
Crowds booed her at the French Open last month but the schoolgirl, who makes her Wimbledon debut next week, says she is not breaking any rules and will not quieten down.

However, former world number one Anna Ivanovic and world number six Jelena Jankovic have been increasingly frustrated by noisy players.

Speaking at last night's pre-Wimbledon party at the Kensington Roof Gardens, hosted by Sir Richard Branson, Jankovic, 24, said: “They should fine people who are grunting over the limit. It is OK to breathe while hitting but not to the extent when it is distracting the other player.”

Her Serbian compatriot Ivanovic, 21, said: “People do it when they are hitting because it is energy. But it can be used as a tactic. It can be off-putting.”

Former champion Virginia Wade said: “I don't have a problem with it personally, but it might be wise for them to turn it down a little.
“When you watch it on TV it is quite intrusive and annoying.”

But Sir Richard, who sits on the World Tennis Federation advisory council, said grunting should be celebrated: “If men do it there is not any fuss and there should not be for women. It is completely ridiculous.”

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