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Carry on grunting: Groans and moans here to stay, say WTA Tour chiefs

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Victoria Azarenka and Maria Sharapova set to return to competetive action

Steve Simon, the tour's chief executive, set to shelve plans to curtail grunting

Jo Konta set to face Aliaksandra Sasnovich in Miami after first round bye

By Mike Dickson for the Daily Mail

PUBLISHED: 22:24 GMT, 24 March 2017 | UPDATED: 00:12 GMT, 25 March 2017

The head of the WTA Tour will risk angering purists by shelving plans to curtail grunting while pressing to abolish rules restricting coaching.

Steve Simon, the tour's chief executive, is relaxed about the repeat yelping of players, which will become more prevalent this year with the return of Victoria Azarenka and Maria Sharapova.

He also wants to challenge the age-old idea in tennis that coaches are not allowed to issue instructions from the stands. This currently incurs a $5,000 fine and official warnings from umpires.

While grunting is not just a female issue, last Sunday's final in Indian Wells was marked by constant screams from winner Elena Vesnina. 

Explorations into decibel levels set in motion by former WTA supremo Stacey Allaster have been abandoned although there is advisory education on the topic for younger players. 'I don't plan on pursuing anything to eliminate grunting,' said Simon. 'I don't know how you stop grunting. We do have rules in place that if we feel it's forced and it becomes a hindrance then obviously there are rules that address that.

'The mics on the court are picking it up. I don't think it's as strong as it was a few years ago, there are fewer players grunting.'

His attitude towards coaching is highly contentious. At present players are allowed one visit per set at regular tour events from a coach, eroding the principle of tennis being a sport in which players must figure out tactics for themselves.

'I think coaching is something that the sport needs to embrace, it's part of the story,' said Simon. 'There are some great personalities among the coaches that could be good for our sport, it's something I would like to see expand.'

The men's game does not allow in-match coaching and there are no current plans to introduce it, but there are instances of secret communication between player and box.

'The fact is there is coaching,' asserted Simon.

'They all have coaches, and there's been the question for years - are they coaching from the box or aren't they? How do you know? Is the banana going left or is it going right? Let's call a spade a spade here: I scratch my head, my hat was on backwards, now it's on forwards. C'mon!

'If you're going to allow coaching, fine. If not, let's go put the coaches in a suite where the player can't find them. We need to be realistic.'

But allowing a free-for-all from the stands would disadvantage the self-reliant players who think for themselves on court. Agnieszka Radwanska is an example of that in the women's game, while Andy Murray is one among the men.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/tennis/article-4347086/Carry-grunting-Groans-stay-say-WTA-chiefs.html

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