Serena Williams Tells the Story Behind Her On-Court Grunts

If you have already watched Serena Williams in action on the tennis courtYou’ve probably wondered what’s behind the noises she makes when she hits the ball. You know, those powerful grunts that can only come from a fierce player like Williams—whose average serve hits 106 miles per hour, by the way—and that make you feel really sorry for the tennis ball at the other end of her swing. Listen for yourself here:

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Today, the star shares the story behind his on-field battle cry. July 4th Episode of “Hot Ones”“Williams said host Sean Evans that she started growling in honor of one of her favorite players, Monica Seles, who was ranked number one player in the world in 1991 and considered one of the OGs growling on the field.

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“So I growl because growing up I loved this tennis player named Monica Seles and she growls. She had this really cool growl. And I loved it, I was like, ‘That’s so cool.’” she says while testing her taste buds with a sample of very spicy wings. “And so I was literally growling at her and then it became natural and then my growl became like a… It was really loud.”

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But now, after nearly 30 years on the professional tennis circuit, Williams says the growl has become second nature and sometimes comes out when she’s not playing tennis.

“I guess it’s a form of breathing.” she says. “I play golf now, I’m grumpy. It’s like it’s part of my life.”

During her conversation with Evans, Williams also discussed her face-off with older sister Venus at the 2003 Australian Open – a match Serena called one of the most intense between the two.

Williams said the pressure was high because it was her first opportunity to win four Grand Slam titles in a row – a feat now known as “Serena Slam.”

“It was a tough match because she actually played really well. And to be honest, she should have won. And I remember she missed a shot that she wouldn’t have missed in another match.” she says. “And I could see that something had just failed… even for a split second… It was hard.”