‘It Is Cheating’ – Martina Navratilova Criticized Players Like Maria Sharapova and Serena Williams Over One Aspect of Their Game
Follow Us
It’s no doubt that Martina Navratilova is one of the greatest players ever to play the sport. Nowadays, she often appears on various channels or networks to provide her expert opinion about matches, particularly Grand Slam matches.
During the Wimbledon in 2009, she gave her input in one particular aspect of the game, i.e. grunting during matches, which she clearly did not like. According to her, umpires should take the responsibility to give punishment to the players.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Martina Navratilova talked about the grunting of a few players, like Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova
During that 2009 interview, the 18-time Grand Slam champion spoke about the grunting of players, as she said, “I should not have to make that noise to handicap the other player. So, 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.”
“The fact of the matter is the grunting, and it’s not even granting, it’s shrieking has got to subside if not disappear altogether because it’s not necessary. There’s no reason to be making that noise when you are hitting a ball. We are not lifting 200 pounds over our head,” she added.
Trending
Roger Federer Breaks Partnership With Billion Dollar Worth Italian Brand Days After Coco Gauff’s Stunning Commercial Appearance
April 12, 2024 07:23 PM EDT
What Does Danielle Collins’ Boyfriend Do? Everything to Know about Her Lowkey Dating History
February 15, 2024 11:39 AM EST
Tennis News: Rafael Nadal Confirms Retirement ; Doping-Banned Mikael Ymer Announces Comeback; Stefanos Tsitsipas Dubbed as Hypocrite
April 15, 2024 06:22 PM EDT
Barcelona Open 2024: Cameron Norrie vs Tomas Martin Etcheverry; Preview, Head-to-Head, Prediction
April 19, 2024 10:31 AM EDT
Stuttgart Open 2024: Aryna Sabalenka vs Markéta Vondroušová; Preview, Head-to-Head, Prediction
April 19, 2024 09:04 AM EDT
Get instantly notified of the hottest Tennis stories via Google! Click on Follow Us and Tap the Blue Star.
Follow Us
“It is a hindrance when they are yelling that loud it’s a hindrance and the umpire needs to step up to the plate and say ‘you need to calm down and if you don’t, it’s a point penalty’. I guarantee you, once you start giving out point penalties, they are gonna stop it,” she further said.
Notably, Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova grunt probably the loudest on the tour. Although Navratilova did not take their name directly, she was most probably talking about them and their loud grunting noises during the game.
Navratilova’s dominance at Wimbledon
Martina Navratilova had a unique style in the women’s game, as she used to serve and volley a lot during matches. Her style of play suited grass-court tennis, as she has won the Wimbledon singles title a record nine times in her career.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Watch This Story: Martina Navratilova’s epic appearance on Dancing with the Stars
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Apart from that, she won the French Open 2 times, the Australian Open 3 times, and the US Open 4 times in her career. Also, she has won 2189 total matches in her career, which is the highest number of matches won by any man or woman. She has done this all with her incredible serve and volley game. Additionally, many also call her the greatest all-format player of all time, including the great Billie Jean King.
Is Navratilova the greatest ever? Let us know in the comments.
Edited by:
Tony Thomas