Roaring on the grass. 🐯🍃

DOWN THE LINE, episode 03

DOWN THE LINE isn’t your usual tennis newsletter. It digs into the stories the game gives us, finds the angle others miss, and brings them to life with the care they deserve.

This newsletter is the natural extension of PAINTING THE LINES. More depth, more data, more detail. It’s where everything comes together

Make sure you’re in — hit the subscribe button below if you haven’t already and stay updated on every new DOWN THE LINE episode.

FROM PAINTING THE LINES: DOES PLAYER’S GRUNTING AFFECT THE GAME? 🗣️

Whether you’re on the court or yelling at your TV, the question stands:

Does grunting actually help, or is it just mind games?

🤯 Answer: both.

Studies show it throws off your opponent’s timing — and adds up to 8 km/h of extra power to your shot.

This post is from a few weeks ago, but the topic has come back into the spotlight — big time.

During her match against Emma Raducanu, Sabalenka hit a grunt measured at 113 dB.

For context: a lion’s roar is about 114 dB, and a car horn hits around 110 dB.

Yep, that loud.

You’ll find more details — including why players grunt and who the loudest ones are — in the post linked below. Just hit that button and take a look.

LINES THAT HIT 💬

Bleacher Report asked for an explanation from Sabalenka - the undisputed queen of grunting herself — and if anyone’s words carry weight on the subject, it’s hers.

At the very least, she offers a pretty solid explanation.

TOP PICKS 🔗

  • Kyrgios: "Sinner will have a better career than Alcaraz because Carlos loves the girls"- Punto de break

  • Alcaraz does not hold back and responds to Kyrgios: "These are comments that, coming from him, do not surprise me" - Punto de break

  • Aryna Sabalenka reveals Novak Djokovic influence after downing Elise Mertens to reach Wimbledon quarter-finals - TNTSports

CAPTURED 📸

“During my match, I saw Jannik up on the terrace watching me. It was a tough moment — I was down a break. Seeing him gave me such a boost. And right after that, I broke back, and the match turned around,” Sonego told SuperTennis.

BY THE NUMBERS 📊

  • Carlos Alcaraz (22 years 56 days) is the youngest player to reach 3 consecutive men’s singles quarter-finals at Wimbledon since Nadal (22 years 20 days, 2006-08).

  • Since 1990, only Steffi Graf (17), Serena Williams (16), and Gabriela Sabatini (15) have reached more consecutive Women’s Singles Grand Slam quarter-finals than Aryna Sabalenka (11).

  • Novak Djokovic has tied the all-time record for most bagles (a set won 6-0) in Grand Slam history – 50 in total.

If you enjoyed this issue and want to help the project grow, feel free to share it with other tennis lovers, spread the word using this link, follow PAINTING THE LINES on Instagram, and keep supporting the journey.