Prior to the 2024 Madrid Open, the stars of the ATP decided to have some fun as they participated in a unique game. Titled Guess the Grunt, the players were each given a pair of headphones from which they heard an unknown ATP player's grunt. They were then asked to identify the player, to very amusing results.
Several ATP superstars tend to grunt as they hit to ball. This could be due to the amount of effort used when hitting a shot, a form of concentration or even as some sort of gamesmanship to throw off opponents. Nonetheless, each player's grunt is unique and several are associated with their trademark grunts.
Former Madrid finalist Stefanos Tsitsipas was among the tennis stars asked to participate. Joining him were former World No.3 Grigor Dimitrov, French veteran Gael Monfils, American Taylor Fritz and a few others. In a video posted on the official ATP Tour YouTube channel, each player was given a pair of headphones and asked to identify an unknown ATP colleague's grunt. Hilarity ensued as players seemed confident in some of their choices, only to be proven wrong once the player's identity was revealed.