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Monica Seles once discussed the double standards faced by women tennis players regarding grunting, contrasting it with the treatment of male players. She pointed out Jimmy Connors as an example to back her statement.
In tennis, it's common to hear players grunting while hitting the ball, with notable examples including Maria Sharapova, Carlos Alcaraz, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Serena and Venus Williams etc. While some believe it can enhance a player's performance, others argue it may hinder the opponent's concentration.
Monica Seles is often credited as one of the early adopters of grunting in women's tennis, while John McEnroe and Jimmy Connors are recognized for popularizing it on the men's side. However, their grunting also occasionally drew criticism from opponents and spectators alike.
During a media appearance at the 2009 Rogers Cup exhibition, Seles was questioned by reporters about whether her grunting was a deliberate tactic and if she felt 'burdened' by being the one to introduce it to the women's game.
The American replied that it was simply "natural breathing," something she had been doing since she was nine. She also suggested a double standard, saying that when male players like Jimmy Connors grunted, it didn't receive the same level of scrutiny.
"I can only speak for myself," Seles said. "In my case, it was a natural breathing. If you look back at tapes as a nine-year-old girl I was doing the exact same thing."
"I think it's unfortunate, because men grunted many times before. You had Jimmy Connors, and nobody said a single word about it. So I think females -- a lot of people, it's hard to accept when they're strong out there," she added.
The Hall of Famer continued:
"For me it was part of who I played; same way as I play two hands on both sides. My goal when I stepped out there on the court was just to crush that ball in whatever best form I could do that, and that was the sound that came out when I crushed the ball."
Monica Seles won nine Grand Slams while Jimmy Connors won eight
Monica Seles won a whopping nine Grand Slams throughout her career while Jimmy Connors won eight.
Seles won the Australian Open four times (1991, 1992, 1993, and 1996) and the French Open thrice (1990, 1991, and 1992). She also clinched the US Open twice (1991, 1992). However, she never won Wimbledon, reaching the final only once in 1992, where she lost to Steffi Graf.
Meanwhile, Connors' dominance was particularly evident on the hardcourts at Flushing Meadows, where he captured the US Open title five times (in 1974, 1976, 1978, 1982, and 1983). Besides that, he has one Australian Open (1974) and two Wimbledon trophies (1974 and 1982).
