The 2026 Australian Open is all about Individuals and Trump

[ad_1] One of many largest tales popping out of the 2026 Australian Open is how effectively the American tennis gamers are doing. 4 US girls — Amanda Anisimova, Coco Gauff, Iva Jovic, Jessica Pegula — are within the quarterfinals and two males — Ben Shelton and Learner Tien — additionally made the ultimate eight. (Gauff, Jovic, and Tien misplaced their quarterfinal matches on Tuesday.) These accomplishments have led to the opposite huge American story popping out of the Aussie Open: How do US tennis gamers really feel about representing their nation at this second?

In post-match interviews, they’ve been requested, a few of them a number of instances for clarification, what it means to play beneath the American flag. Implicitly, these questions are referring to federal agents killing American citizens in Minnesota, or maybe the more and more unusual and heated threats about acquiring Greenland , or the army intervention in Venezuela and threats to launch army strikes on Iran .

Primarily, reporters are asking: Are you proud to be an American in a second and time when so many Individuals aren’t?

Whereas tennis gamers often is the first US athletes on a serious worldwide stage this 12 months to take care of this consideration, they gained’t be the final. In two weeks, the Winter Olympics will start and coincide with the Tremendous Bowl, the most-watched sporting occasion within the US. Lots of these athletes will face the identical query about what elements of America they're or aren’t celebrating.

American gamers are being requested the way it feels to be American proper now

Nation illustration generally is a huge deal in tennis when its governing our bodies — the ATP and WTA tour — need it to be. For instance, Russian and Belarusian tennis gamers are at present not allowed to symbolize their international locations on tour and do not need flags subsequent to their names, a call made in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The intent is to symbolize neutrality regardless of the international locations’ worldwide aggression towards Ukraine.

Russian and Belarusian gamers have additionally, on a number of events, been requested what their stance on the Ukraine invasion has been. Aryna Sabalenka, the present girls’s primary who occurs to be from Belarus, has clarified her stance a number of instances. This week, after a Ukrainian participant mentioned Sabalenka and different Russian and Belarusian gamers taking part in in grand slams was “improper,” Sabalenka told reporters : “I’ve been clear earlier than that I’m pro-peace. Nothing has modified. That’s all I can say about that.”

Asking tennis gamers about worldwide and private politics isn’t unusual, however these queries often aren’t on American tennis gamers. The aforementioned political occasions unfolding stateside and internationally have modified that.

Coco Gauff , the third-ranked participant on this planet, was requested in regards to the state of the US beneath the second Trump administration and informed reporters this week, “At this level, I really feel a bit fatigued speaking about it, simply due to the truth that it's onerous being a Black lady on this nation and having to expertise issues, even on-line, and seeing marginalized communities being affected.” She added, “I hope that as time continues that we will attain a state that we’re not at present in, and we maintain shifting ahead.”

2025 champ Madison Keys was additionally requested the identical query this week, and responded equally to Gauff. “I believe it’s fairly apparent the place I stand, and I'm hopeful that we, as a rustic, can come collectively and get again to the values that I believe make our nation nice. I'm not a fan of divisiveness, and I believe the great thing about the US is we're a mixing pot, we're very various, we're a house of immigrants,” she informed reporters. “I hope that we will get again to these values.”

Each Gauff and Keys’s feedback have been picked up by right-wing websites and personalities, a few of whom criticized the reporter for goading anti-Trump sentiment out of the gamers.

On the opposite facet of the political spectrum, Ben Shelton endured sharp scrutiny after scribbling “USA until its backwards” on a digital camera in a post-win celebration. Critics questioned why he was seemingly celebrating his nation whereas there was violence taking place in Minnesota.

Shelton later clarified, saying that his message wasn’t meant to be political. He posted on Instagram : “Actually no underlying message with my digital camera signal... loads of younger Individuals killing it in Australia this 12 months. And my girlfriend performed for workforce USA for the primary time in a 12 months this morning. Thought they deserved a shoutout.”

American gamers are discovering out representing the US is sophisticated proper now

Out of all of the American gamers’ feedback, it was Amanda Anisimova’s that made essentially the most noise. It wasn’t due to her views, however as a result of she declined to inform reporters her particular political opinions. “I don’t assume that’s related,” Anisimova informed the reporter who requested the identical query posed to Gauff and Keys.

Though Anisimova tried to say neutrality, her feedback ignited a pointy response from each political wings. Some followers criticized her and jumped to the conclusion that she was Republican. On the similar time, some Republicans assumed her allegiance and cheered her on for not taking what they noticed as anti-Trump bait.

Anisimova clarified her assertion on January 25, telling reporters that she felt just like the query was requested simply to create a spectacle and a distraction. “In my different press convention…I didn’t wish to reply a query that was clearly supposed for a headline and clickbait; that was my proper,” she told reporters . “It had nothing to do with my political opinions or something like that. The truth that individuals assume that they know my stance on sure necessary matters is simply improper. It’s not factual. It’s robust however I’ve discovered to get used to it.”

Anisimova has some extent in {that a} temporary, post-win press convention isn’t more likely to be a spot the place you’re going to get a critical, considerate reply from tennis gamers about politics.

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On the similar time, there’s a history of American achievement and activism in sports that has been pivotal to shaping political moments, especially in tennis . In the mean time, star athletes in different sports activities, particularly basketball , have been outspoken of their opposition to the Trump administration’s actions.

The insistence on determining how these gamers really feel in regards to the US is a part of an extended, steady debate about how sports activities figures reply to politics. The viral response from either side to Anisimova’s “no remark” looks as if sufficient proof that individuals do need politics from athletes — simply not politics they disagree with. Many followers resolve to root for or in opposition to an athlete or workforce based mostly on politics. And whereas athletes’ achievements are easy (they win or lose), how well-known they change into, their legacies, and their affect on sport are sometimes reflections of the tradition at massive and what we worth.

What’s made it extra sophisticated for US athletes right this moment is that the US’s reputation on the international stage has declined beneath the second Trump administration. If Russian and Belarusian gamers’ opinions about their leaders are honest recreation, as they at present are in tennis, it’s not past the pale to ask Individuals questions on how they really feel about theirs.

The plea to maintain tennis and different sports activities away from politics additionally feels a bit hole when there are insurance policies inside the US straight affecting sports activities. From the continuing debate and litigation about trans athletes, to the administration’s assurance that ICE — after killing two Americans in Minneapolis in January — can be on the Tremendous Bowl in two weeks, to how the US’s visa bans will have an effect on who can and might’t come to attend the World Cup, there is no such thing as a cleaving away US politics from US sports activities.

One would additionally count on Group USA athletes to area comparable questions in Milan when the Winter Olympics start in February.

Group USA is poised to have a giant presence on the Video games and are favorites to medal in a number of occasions. With these wins come traditions like taking part in the nationwide anthem and intensive interviews with medalists. The Olympics are additionally a spot the place politics are already a storyline. The US intends to send ICE officers to the Video games, however Giuseppe Sala, the mayor of Milan , informed reporters this week that ICE was a “militia that kills” and that it might not be welcome in his metropolis.

In contrast to the American tennis gamers, Olympic athletes could not be capable of simply ignore how sophisticated it's on this second to easily have fun the US.