Martina Navratilova is one of tennis’ most vocal and prominent figures, willing to weigh in on any debate she feels passionately about.
However, not every issue she raises results in a solution, with one particular example spanning nearly 20 years now without an end in sight.
It was 2009 when she first raised this complaint, and she has continued to do so throughout the years.
Martina Navratilova directly called out the WTA, when responding to Stacey Allaster, the CEO, who planned to find a way to fix this frustration.
If you were in charge of tennis, what is the first rule you would change?
Clearly, she failed in that task.
Martina Navratilova’s big issue in tennis
The issue that Navratilova had relates to grunting, and she has been one of the loudest voices in trying to eradicate this from her sport.
In fact, in 2009, she argued: “It is not direct cheating, but it is cheating in a way because you are making it difficult for the opponent to hear the ball hitting the racket and that should not be.”
So, she will have been somewhat pleased to see Allaster admit that she was planning to ‘eliminate excessive grunting for the next generation’ in 2012.
However, her solution was a slow, long-term one, adding: “But [we’re] doing it in such a manner that it does not drive out our current players who have trained their entire lives the way they play today.”
This prompted Navratilova to respond by asking: “Why wait that long — what’s the next generation, five years from now, 10 years from now?”
Grunting in tennis is still a problem even today
It’s quite clear that Allaster’s initiative has yet to really show any progress, with Aryna Sabalenka the outstanding proof that grunting is still alive and well.
After all, she was actually penalised for it in the recent Australian Open, as Sabalenka received a hindrance for an extended grunt in the semi-final against Elina Svitolina.
Who wins more Grand Slams in their career – Elena Rybakina or Aryna Sabalenka?
Speaking after, the world number one claimed: “That’s actually never happened to me, especially with my grunting, it’s so off I think, and the way that…I don’t know how to explain it.”
The fact that it had never happened to her before speaks volumes for the fact that grunting has yet to be eradicated, given she is arguably one of the most renowned for it, and that Navratilova’s issue is still a prominent one at the top of the sport.
