Ben Shelton’s Response at the Australian Open

During a recent press conference leading up to the Australian Open, American tennis player Ben Shelton was notably not asked, along with his compatriots, if he felt embarrassed to represent the United States. However, he offered a strong response anyway.

Following his victory over Valentin Bachelot in the third round, Shelton turned to the camera and signed off with the phrase, “Until USA turns around.”

This statement reflects a sense of firm support and determination.

Around the same time, Owen Lewis, contributing to various media outlets including the New York Times, posed questions to American players regarding their feelings given the turbulent events in the country over the past year. He inquired if these issues had made their experience of representing the U.S. more complex.

Player Amanda Anisimova was quick to reject the suggestions from what she termed as anti-American narratives often propagated by some reporters. She emphasized, “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 so many excellent athletes on both the women’s and men’s sides.” She expressed confidence that they all contribute positively to the representation of their nation.

Most American athletes echoed similar sentiments, steering clear of Lewis’s provocative lines of questioning. The exception was Coco Gauff, who reflected on her political views and the challenges of being a Black woman in the United States.

Gauff shared, “I hope our country becomes more peaceful and kinder by talking to each other about different topics.” She remarked on her experiences in advocacy, saying, “I’m a little tired of talking about it… I know all I can do is donate and speak out. I’m doing my best.”

Continuing, she expressed hope for progress, saying, “I posted a video of Martin Luther King Jr. that said, ‘We’ve got to keep moving forward,’ even though things aren’t as calm right now as I would like them to be.”