Australian Open Reporter Asks American Players Anti-Trump Questions As Left-Wing Media Remains Insufferable

A credentialed reporter at the Australian Open appears to be less interested in covering the tennis being played at the year's first Grand Slam than he is in asking politically loaded and biased questions to American competitors in hopes that they will speak negatively of the United States and President Donald Trump.

The reporter is alleged to be a man named Owen Lewis, who has filed multiple bylines covering the tournament for The Athletic, the subscription-based sports department of The New York Times. Lewis shared on Blue Sky that he is in Melbourne covering the tournament with a credential "for a few outlets," while specifically mentioning The Athletic.

OutKick has reached out to Lewis as well as to editors and various staffers at both The Athletic and New York Times, looking to confirm that it is indeed him asking the questions and if Lewis is representing The Athletic at the tournament, and if so, if he was directed to ask these politically focused questions to American players while in Australia. We will update this story with comments if we receive them.

Coco Gauff was the first American player to be asked by the reporter to share her feelings "about the state of the U.S. one year into the second Trump administration."

After saying that she felt "fatigued" talking about politics, she stated that "it's hard being a black woman" in the United States.

The same reporter showed up the following day to ask similar politically driven questions to other American players competing in the tournament following their second-round victories. 

Loaded Questions Posed To American Players At The Australian Open

To Amanda Anisimova: "I've been asking a lot of the American players just how it feels to play under the American flag right now. And I'm curious how you feel?"

After Anisimova stated that she's "always proud to represent my country," the reporter doubled down with another loaded question.

"Sorry, just to clarify a little, I mean, sort of in the context of the last year of everything that's been happening in the U.S., does that complicate that feeling at all?" Anisimova replied back, saying, "I don't think that's relevant."

To Taylor Fritz: "You know, I'm asking all the American players this - there's a lot happening back home in the U.S. and kind of has been for a lot of the last year, and I'm just kind of wondering how you're feeling about all of it?"

Fritz buried his head in his hands, didn't take the bait, and referred to the question as "a big distraction for me in the middle of the tournament."

To Jessica Pegula: "This is a pretty sensitive subject, but you know, the U.S. is a year into the second Trump administration now, and a lot of people are suffering, and I'm wondering how you're feeling about things back home personally and specifically what the mood is like in Florida?"

Pegula was then asked specifically about the mood in Florida after the reporter didn't receive the anti-Trump answer he was after. She explained that Florida is "a big melting pot" while stating that where she lives in Florida "has been fine."

To Madison Keys: "This is a pretty sensitive subject, but, you know, a year into the second Trump administration, tensions in the U.S. are pretty ridiculously high. And I'm just wondering how do you feel personally about what the Trump administration has been doing? And how has it felt to you when you've spent time in the U.S.?"

Keys, the Aussie Open defending champion, played things rather diplomatically in her response.

"I think my stance has been pretty obvious. I think it's pretty obvious where I stand, and I am hopeful that we as a country can come together and get back to the values that I think make our country great," Keys explained. "I am not a fan of divisiveness, and I think the beauty of the U.S. is we are a mixing pot. We are very diverse. We are a home of immigrants. and I hope that we can get back to those values."

Americans Tommy Paul, Frances Tiafoe, and Ben Shelton were not posed similar questions during their media availability following their second-round wins.

Social Media Reaction To Reporter's Ridiculous Questions

A ‘sports’ reporter not actually reporting on sports they're meant to be covering, and instead pushing political nonsense, is nothing new. This is especially true in tennis, where the overwhelming majority of the media leans left.

Despite that reality, it doesn't mean folks are letting the reporter and his ridiculous line of questioning off the hook.

"It’s important to share clips like this because of the game plan," OutKick founder Clay Travis shared on X after sharing a clip of Anisimova's back-and-forth with the reporter. 

"A no-name sports media member hates Trump, but no one cares about his opinion so he tries to use the fame of athletes to attack Trump using their name instead of his. So he asks as many American tennis players as he can this same question. Most avoid playing his game. But if one does, and rips Trump, left wing sports media then turns that into a huge headline and trumpets it everywhere.

"It’s hugely dishonest and biased. But that’s the rig game in sports media. The one athlete who rips Trump becomes the story, not the twenty who didn’t. Because sports media members want the athletes to share their anti-Trump opinions so they promote and praise those who do, ignore or, worse, denigrate and rip those who don’t. Athletes and fans should know what’s going on here."

Bloomberg's Eric Balchunas called it "a gross form of sports journalism."

This story will be updated if OutKick receives comments about the reporter. His identity and employer are only pieces to a ridiculous, expanding puzzle reflecting left-wing media members pushing an anti-America narrative in every space imaginable.