WIMBLEDON is well underway and eagled-eyed viewers are noticing recurring habits from players.
Tennis stars have been accustomed to hitting their shoes with their racket, but why do they do it?
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Why do tennis players hit their shoes with their rackets?
Cleaning the shoes
Tennis players play on many different surfaces, which means they often get dirt, clay or grass stuck underneath their shoes.
Players will often hit their shoes with their rackets to remove any material that could impact the grip of their shoes.
22-time Grand Slam winner Rafael Nadal is often seen hitting his shoes twice before he serves on clay courts.
Ritual
Many in the world of professional sport have rituals or routines to keep them focused when competing at the highest level.
Tennis players that hit their shoes with their racket to remove dirt may get into the habit of doing it on a regular basis, and in turn, it becomes a part of their ritual.
Frustration
You often see tennis stars getting frustrated with themselves when making mistakes while competing at the highest level.
Some players even obliterate their rackets during a match out of anger.
Frustration is another reason that could lead tennis stars to hit their shoes with their rackets, as it may prevent them from breaking it completely!
In 2019 Serena Williams was famously fined £8000 for damaging the Wimbledon court with her racket out of anger.
Serena Williams smashing her racket against the court at Wimbledon 2019
Why do tennis players grunt?
Some say tennis players grunt to put off their opponents.
Others believe it’s simply a release of energy playing such an elite level of sport.
But for Louise Deeley, a sports psychologist, she believes it can actually be a piece of the arsenal in their game.
Speaking to The Guardian, she said: “The timing of when they actually grunt helps them with the rhythm of how they’re hitting and how they’re pacing things.
It may be that their perception is that if they grunt, they are hitting it harder. It’s going to give you confidence and a sense of being in control of your game.”
