OUTGOING WTA chief Larry Scott has said the tour could no longer turn a deaf ear to the grunting phenomenon that has swept women’s tennis.

“I’ve been used to hearing that controversy this fortnight over 20 years. The other 50 weeks of the year I would not say it has been a significant issue,” Scott, who leaves his post at the end of this month after six months at the helm, told reporters.

“(But) this year it has expanded beyond that. At Roland Garros, I agree, we started hearing about this and reading about it in a way we hadn’t before outside Wimbledon. Based on that we have started a process of looking at it more carefully.”

Scott said the tour wanted the focus to return to tennis so officials will be keeping a close eye on noise levels.

“But I don’t think we’re at that point of sort of changing the instructions to the chair umpires.”