Maria Sharapova would have a lot more fans (ya know, more than she already does) if watching her play tennis wasn’t as punishing on the ears as it’s easy on the eyes. Sharapova is one of the tennis world’s most notorious grunters, which makes watching her matches a trying affair. To keep you tuned in, the BBC has introduced technology called Wimbledon Net Mix, a device for the radio and Internet that lowers the volume of on-court sounds and raises the noise level of commentators; and they’re using it for the first time at Wimbledon.
The product is available for free on BBC Radio Player. For the time being it only allow listeners to adjust the sound on Centre Court matches.
For those watching on television, mute or changing the channel remain the top options to combat grunting.