Loudest Female Tennis Players Who Grunt

There is, perhaps, nothing as truly distinct as a player grunting in the game of tennis. Typically done when serving or returning the tennis ball, tennis players utilize the grunt to help with their rhythm and pacing in the game.

And, although, for casual observers, the grunt may seem unnecessary, the wide popularity and usage, across both genders, seems to indicate that the practice is helpful in a players abilities and timing of their return while on the tennis court.

Oftentimes called a shriek or scream, the tennis grunt has become more noticeable in recent years and is an unmistakable part of the game. Below, we are going to look at, with video evidence, the loudest female tennis players who grunt while playing the game.

Serena Williams

Decibel level – 88.9

Decibel level equivalent – lawnmowers, power tools, blenders, hair dryers.

Serena Williams is widely considered one of the greatest tennis players of all time and has been credited, alongside her sister Venus, with ushering in a new era of power and athleticism on the women’s professional tennis tour.

Having been ranked the singles world No. 1 player by the Women’s Tennis Association for 319 weeks, Serena has won 23 Grand Slam singles titles. In addition, Williams has also won 14 major women’s doubles titles, all with her sister Venus, and the pair are unbeaten in Grand Slam doubles finals.

A right-handed player, Serena has also won four Olympic gold medals, with three of them coming in the women’s doubles.

However, Serena is known for being an extremely loud player while on the court. Her recorded decibel levels typically reach in excess of 90, while averaging closer to the 88.9 mark. Known for her style and flair on the court, Serena is one of the most formidable opponents on the tennis court.

Venus Williams

Decibel level – 85

Decibel level equivalent – ranges between a loud alarm clock to lawnmowers, power tools, blenders, hair dryers.

The older of the Williams’ sisters, Venus has also been widely credited with increasing and promoting the popularity of the women’s game. Similarly, widely regarded as one of the greatest to ever play the sport, Venus was the first African American women to reach the singles world No. 1 rankings, having done so on February 25, 2002.

With 49 WTA Tour singles titles, Williams trails only her sister Serena among active players with the most singles titles. With 22 WTA doubles titles and two mixed doubles titles, her combined total of 73 WTA titles is also second among active players behind Serena. She is also one of only two active players to have reached the singles finals of all four majors, along with Serena.

Venus, though not as loud as Serena on the tennis court, has been known to grunt loudly and particularly at key moments in a match. A talented, multi-faceted player, Venus utilizes the grunt to better her performance and to help time her backhand.

Maria Sharapova

Decibel level – 100

Decibel level equivalent – snowmobiles and MP3 players at full volume

Maria Sharapova is considered to be one of the loudest female grunters in the game. With her grunts and shrieks typically passing 100 decibels, it can be heard throughout the stadium and can be quite off-putting.

A Russian former No. 1 player, she was active in the WTA Tour from 2001 to 2020 and was ranked as the world No. 1 in singles for 21 weeks. The only Russian, and just one of ten women, to achieve a career Grand Slam, Sharapova also won silver in the women’s singles at the 2012 London Olympics.

Ranked as one of the highest paid female athletes in the world, Sharapova has reportedly earned over $285 million since turning professional in 2001.

Victoria Azarenka

Decibel level – 85

Decibel level equivalent – ranges between a loud alarm clock to lawnmowers, power tools, blenders, hair dryers.

Victoria Azarenka is a Belarusian professional tennis player who was a former world No. 1 in singles, having claimed the title on January 20, 2012. Having held the top ranking for a combined total of 51 weeks, Victoria Azarenka has also won 21 WTA single titles, including two Grand Slam singles titles at the 2012 and 2013 Australian Open.

She was the first Belarusian tennis player from either the men or the women’s game to win a Grand Slam tournament singles title. Similarly, she has been successful in the doubles game, winning nine WTA doubles titles.

Aryna Sabalenka

Decibel level – 90

Decibel level equivalent – ranges between a loud alarm clock to lawnmowers, power tools, blenders, hair dryers.

One of the louder female grunters in the game, Aryna Sabalenka actually drew widespread criticism for her loud style of play during the 2022 Australian Open, which can be evidenced via the video below.

Another Belarusian tennis player, Aryna has been ranked as high as the No.2 player in singles and No. 1 in doubles by the Women’s Tennis Association. Having won two Grand Slam doubles titles, she has so far won 16 career titles, with ten coming in the singles and six in the doubles.

Aryna Sabalenka is also known for her aggressive style of play, which can also be evidenced through her loud grunts. In addition, standing in at 6-feet, she has a vert strong serve and can be an intimidating force on the court.

Michelle Larcher de Brito

Decibel level – 109

Decibel level equivalent – ranges between extremely loud concerts of any genre to car horns to the yell of crowds at a sporting event.

A former professional tennis player, Michelle Larcher de Brito is currently a real estate agent in her home country of Portugal. A former No. 1 player in Portugal, she won four singles titles on the ITF Circuit and reached her best singles ranking of world No. 76 in 2009.

However, Michelle Larcher de Brito happens to have one of the loudest grunts and screams from any female tennis player, with her grunts having been recorded at over 109 decibels. Per the video below, you can see her and Maria Sharapova exchanging plays, and grunts, back in 2013.