Reporter Asks Tennis Player ‘How It Feels to Play Under the American Flag Right Now’

I know we don't tackle sports that often, and when we do, it's usually football. My wife is a huge tennis fan — to the extent that she subscribes to ESPN so she can catch matches that aren't televised. Yeah, ESPN, I know.

While we wait for a monster winter storm here in the United States, my wife is currently watching the Australian Open, the first slam of the year, where it's summer. But that's not important.

I don't follow tennis to the extent that she does, so I was surprised to see something from The Tennis Letter show up in my feed. It seems a reporter asked Amanda Anisimova, and has been asking other American players, how it feels to be playing under the U.S. flag these days. Fortunately, she didn't take the bait and set him straight.

Amanda Anisimova was asked if what’s been happening in the U.S. over the last year complicates her feelings of playing under the American flag

“I’ve been asking a lot of the American players how it feels to play under the American flag right now. I’m curious how you feel..”… pic.twitter.com/hFMYBT05SE
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) January 22, 2026

… Amanda: “I was born in America so I’m always proud to represent my country. A lot of us are doing really well. It’s great to see a lot of great athletes on the women’s and men’s side.”
“Just to clarify a little.. I mean… sort of in the context of the last year of everything that’s been happening in the US, does that complicate that feeling at all?”
Amanda: “I don’t think that’s relevant.”

Just to clarify a little, that's not the answer I was looking for. Could you try again? What a twerp.

6-0 6-0 over the woke reporter.
— John Ondrasik (@johnondrasik) January 22, 2026

“But don’t you want to say you’re ashamed because of the orange man!?”
— Political Blasphememes (@PBlasphememes) January 22, 2026

Interesting to see which tennis players take the bait and which don’t.
— Sean Spicier - Former Tango Dancer (Parody) (@sean_spicier) January 22, 2026

Her parents native country has killed hundreds of thousands in an ongoing war. Ask them about it. Her parents escaped communism
— CCFC-off season (@sohali2012) January 22, 2026

That smarmy reporter is probably from ESPN.

Yesterday, an activist masquerading as a reporter asked an American player about ideology and got her saying it's hard to be Black in America.😵‍💫🌊

Today an activist masquerading as a report asks this and she says GFY!🦁🇺🇸

Either way, can someone pull these losers' press passes?
— Theo Jordan (@Theo_TJ_Jordan) January 22, 2026

That was Coco Gauff who said it's hard to be black in America. Yeah, she's really feeling the struggle. The sports networks love her, though, and as my wife testifies, they'll always televise her matches even when there's a really big men's match going on.

@AustralianOpen, why are you allowing this liberal reporter to continue to bait athletes into bashing America?

The press room is not for pushing politics. This line of questioning is like what Amanda Anisimova said “irrelevant”, and it’s unnecessary.

Remove this guy. https://t.co/VhOvGTXsL9
— Jon Root (@JonnyRoot_) January 22, 2026

Get this reporter out of the press room. Your job to talk about sports, not bait American athletes into saying something controversial and anti-conservative. @TheAthletic & @AustralianOpen, get Owen Lewis out of there. pic.twitter.com/EGLbkYdc4e
— Jon Root (@JonnyRoot_) January 22, 2026

Is that him? Bylines in The Guardian … what a surprise.