Why is tennis so loud?

I saw Maria Sharapova play Ai Sugiyami of Japan last night. When I think of tennis noises, I usually think of controlled clapping, occasional gasps, and the rhythmic pops of rackets striking the ball. And if the event is in a quiet suburban area like Palo Alto, I expect almost zero background noise. Of course, at a Sharapova match, I would also expect Maria's grunting, but her grunting was the least distracting noise at the Bank of the West Classic. I guess you can't always expect to get what you expect.

First, the train tracks are about half a mile from the stadium, and trains passed at least twice. The rumble wasn't audible, but the horn was. I guess the players can be glad it was a ways away. Considering my expectations, I was a little distracted but not irked.

However, I was a bit concerned when I heard the Stanford "band" practicing. This amalgam of students who think their antics are fair compensation for their lack of skill were practicing a little bit during the match. I give them props for practicing, given that they need all they can get. And they were at least practicing inside, but they were audible from the court. Fortunately, they weren't too loud and didn't practice for long. But I was worried that I would be stuck listening to them at yet another sporting event.

There were also many toddlers at the tennis match. There weren't quite as many as at my family reunions or a daycare, but there were at least three one year olds within ten yards of my seat. And it's great that parents are getting out and doing things. It is. I was just surprised that so many parents took their kids to an event that involves metal bleachers, an expected quietude, and potentially three hours of sitting beginning at 7:30 PM. I don't mind the kids, but I thought the players might.

The biggest distraction was the sporting event--no, not the one I paid for, but the water polo event taking place across the way. This included raucous cheering, shrill whistles, and piercing horns. Every once in awhile, one of these sounds would burst forth from the swimming stadium. I couldn't help but think that Sharapova and Sugiyama would be annoyed by all the external commotion. Then again, they are professionals.

Even though I was often distracted by the many different sounds, the players didn't seem to mind. They were focused and didn't seem to notice the crowd. Sugiyami started out strong and Sharapova, though she seemed to have trouble getting her first in for a bit, crushed the ball and played many a nice drop shot. In the future, I will expect a good game but maybe not library-esque quiet.