A preliminary investigation regarding the effect of tennis grunting: does white noise during a tennis shot have a negative impact on shot perception?

Abstract in brief

• The study investigates whether the white noise from tennis grunting negatively impacts an opponent's perception of a shot, with no prior scientific evidence to support claims of an unfair advantage for grunting players.
• Participants showed slower and less accurate responses when a brief sound coincided with the tennis hit, indicating that extraneous noise interferes with shot perception.
• The findings suggest that grunting may provide players with a competitive edge, possibly by masking the sound of the ball contact or distracting opponents, but further research is needed to understand the exact mechanism.]