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Former American tennis stars John Isner and Tennys Sandgren on Thursday criticized a journalist’s questions aimed at Amanda Anisimova while she was at the Australian Open.
Anisimova was pressed by a reporter to share her thoughts on the United States and playing under the American flag. She didn’t give the reporter the bait and he clarified what he meant in a follow-up question.
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John Isner of the United States serves against Michael Mmoh of the United States during day four of the 2023 US Open tennis tournament at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on August 31, 2023. (Jerry Lai/USA TODAY Sports)
“In the context of last year and everything that happened in the United States, does that complicate that feeling?” » asked the journalist.
“I don’t think that’s relevant,” she retorted.
Isner was among those who raised the issue on social media.
“Popular opinion: Let’s ask players tennis questions at a tennis tournament. This is so lame,” Isner wrote on X.
Sandgren didn’t mince his words either.
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Tennys Sandgren of the United States reacts against James Duckworth of Australia (not pictured) during the Citi Open at Rock Creek Park Tennis Center on August 3, 2021. (Scott Taetsch/USA TODAY Sports)
“Bug player,” he added. “Go write for The Economist if you have the ability. If not, ask him how his setback felt and move on.”
Anisimova’s response stood in stark contrast to what Coco Gauff said at the tournament earlier this week.
Gauff was asked about her thoughts on “the state of America,” a year into President Donald Trump’s second term.
“I hope we can have a lot more peace in our country and more kindness in the way we talk to each other about different topics and things like that,” she said via The Tennis Letter. “Obviously, I’ve talked a lot about how I feel. At this point, I feel a little tired of talking about it just because it’s also hard being a black woman in this country and having to go through things, even online, and seeing marginalized communities being affected. And knowing that I can only donate and speak out. I’m trying my best to do that.
Amanda Anisimova of the United States in action against Simona Waltert of Switzerland in the first round on day two of the 2026 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 19, 2026 in Melbourne, Australia. (Robert Prangé/Getty Images)
“But yeah, I hope that over time we can reach a state that we’re not in now and that we continue to move forward. I posted the Martin Luther King video and that was kind of saying, ‘We have to keep moving forward,’ even though things might not be as calm as I would like right now.”
