Belarusian star, Aryna Sabalenka is eyeing for her historic third straight AO title! She’s all set to face America’s Madison Keys in the final of the 2025 AO on Saturday. Interestingly, this will be their sixth meeting on the Tour, and guess what? Both the players are currently on an 11-match winning streak! So, the intensity will be high in this epic battle and so will be the stakes, but what about grunting? Well, for those who are unaware, Aryna Sabalenka frequently accompanies her shots with loud grunting. Are we going to see a lot more of those in this thrilling encounter? Time will tell! How loud is her grunt, though?

Well, talking about her grunts, Aryna Sabalenka once said, “Honestly, I don’t even hear myself when I am playing.” What about those who hear all these during her matches? Well, Aryna Sabalenka has faced a lot of criticism for her grunts in the past. According to some stats from June 2023, Aryna Sabalenka was found to have made the noise 100 percent of the time she served and 95 percent of the time she played a shot.

Talking about the loudness of her grunts, during one of her previous matches against Ashleigh Barty at the 2018 AO, her grunts became the talk of the town. As per various reports, her grunt that night was recorded somewhere close to 90 dB (Decibel). At that time, even the fans were seen mocking her grunts. After seeing the situation going a bit out of hand, the chair umpire had to intervene. He was heard saying, “Ladies and Gentlemen please, during the rally, do not scream.”

Why do players grunt, though? Well, the most common reason a player grunts is due to the relaxation of the muscles as they play their shots. Interestingly, most fitness instructors advise exhaling during a workout and by doing so, tennis stars can improve their breathing and rhythm while playing. Some of the other factors which contribute to this grunting are players increasing power on their shots and letting off steam during a game.

The ‘Tigress’ (Aryna Sabalenka), is known for her powerful groundstrokes and aggressive style of play. So, no wonder why we see her grunt so much during her matches! Have her opponents ever complained about this, before?

Well, during the 2023 Wimbledon Championships, Tunisian tennis star, Ons Jabeur spoke about Aryna Sabalenka’s grunts after their SF clash. In the post-match, interview she said jokingly, “She (Aryna Sabalenka) was screaming for both of us, I guess! I couldn’t even scream with her. It’s tough. It is true. I mean, that’s the thing about playing Aryna. She’s there. You know she’s there.”

Then in another instance, when the American star, Coco Gauff was asked to reflect a bit on Sabalenka’s grunt, she said, “No. I mean, I played her a lot, so I can’t sit here and say that the grunt is distracting.” What is WTA’s stand on the mid-match grunts, though? Well, according to the WTA, “Grunting is a natural part of the game; there is a correlation between breathing, a forceful exhale and power. Excessive grunting doesn’t seem to be an issue that affects players, but we’re aware of how some fans react to it.”

Now, shifting our focus from the grunts to the roars! Who will most likely give out the loudest roar at the Rod Laver Arena in just a few hours from now? Well, we need to wait a bit to find out, but let’s first find out what both the players said ahead of this epic battle.

Madison Keys heaps praise on Aryna Sabalenka’s “fearless” brand of tennis ahead of epic final

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Aryna Sabalenka has already become the first woman to reach three consecutive finals in Melbourne since Serena Williams (2015-17). If she wins this match against Madison Keys, she’ll become the first woman in 26 years to win three consecutive AO titles, a milestone which was achieved by Martina Hingis (1997-1999). Both the players are in red-hot form in this tournament. Talking about the American, she could become the first woman in 19 years to defeat the #1 and #2 in the last two matches of a Grand Slam tournament.

Shortly after Aryna Sabalenka’s emphatic victory over her close friend Paula Badosa, the Spaniard was heard saying, “If she plays like this. We can already give her the trophy.” What did Keys say about Aryna Sabalenka ahead of this epic battle?

During a recent interview, Madison Keys was seen heaping praise on the Belarusian. She said, “I think what’s really impressive is her mentality. She plays such fearless tennis. She has the ability to play so well that way. I think it’s very unique. I think not only is that impressive on her side, but I think it puts a little bit more pressure on her opponents where you know you’re always going to have to try to win the point because she’s never going to just play passive, and give you an easy point.”

Is Aryna Sabalenka confident about putting up a good show in Melbourne in this epic grand finale? “Last year, I thought, `OK, I feel like home, I feel so good here, I feel all the support.’ This year I feel even more. I feel like I’m coming home to my home Slam.” She spoke about how she gets goosebumps seeing her fans scream and cheer for her from the stands. Can this incredible support for the defending champion help her secure yet another historic feat in her career?