A sports reporter has stirred controversy by suggesting it’s “embarrassing to represent the United States,” resulting in significant backlash.
Owen Lewis, a reporter from The Athletic, recently posed a question to tennis player Amanda Anisimova during a press conference at the Australian Open, asking her what it feels like to compete as an American.
Lewis inquired, “I’ve talked to many American players about what it’s like playing under the American flag right now, and I’m curious about your feelings.”
However, Anisimova didn’t take the bait. She responded confidently, stating, “I was born in America, and I’m proud to represent my country. Many of us are performing well. It’s fantastic to see so many talented athletes on both the women’s and men’s sides. I believe we all do a great job representing ourselves.”
Despite this, the journalist pressed on, insisting, “I just want to clarify… considering everything happening in America over the past year, does that change how you feel at all?”
Anisimova replied wisely, “I don’t think that matters.”
This isn’t the first time Lewis has attempted to provoke American players into criticizing their country.
Earlier, he similarly questioned Taylor Fritz at the Australian Open, asking how the player felt about the issues facing America. “How do you feel given all that’s happened in the U.S. last year?” he asked.
Fritz seemed frustrated and replied, “I’m not really sure what you mean specifically, but yeah, there’s a lot happening. I worry that anything I say could be misinterpreted or taken out of context, and I don’t want that to be a huge distraction during the tournament.”
It seems Fritz is wise to tread carefully in these waters.
Lewis has been known to ask all American players similar questions with the apparent aim of encouraging them to speak negatively about the U.S.
