Amanda Anisimova isn’t interested in entertaining clickbait, especially not after reaching the Australian Open quarterfinals for the first time since turning pro in 2016. Instead of her all-American quarterfinal clash with Jessica Pegula, Anisimova has had to address outside noise that’s followed her at the tournament.

When asked about representing the U.S. in the current political climate, Anisimova shut the question down quickly. “I don’t think that’s relevant,” she said, igniting a wave of online debate over her response. But the topic came up again following her 7-6(4), 6-4 win over Wang Xinyu.

A reporter brought up a tweet Anisimova had briefly posted and then deleted, mentioning all the online chatter and how she’s dealt with it. “I feel like the internet, it’s tough,” admitted Anisimova in her post-match presser.

“It comes with the job, which is something I’ve learned to get used to. There are definitely days where it bothers me a little bit, and I tell myself it’s OK to get upset or frustrated, ’cause at the end of the day, I’m human. It can be pretty difficult but it’s not worth so much of my energy and time, and that’s something that I’ve learned to get used to,” added the 24-year-old.

Amanda Anisimova went on to explain that she chose not to answer that question in a previous press conference because she felt it was clearly meant to create a headline rather than to generate genuine discussion.

“It had nothing to do with my political views or anything like that. So, the fact that people assume that they know my stance on certain important topics is just wrong and it’s not factual,” explained Anisimova.

It’s also why she decided deleting her tweet was the right move. For those who missed it, the No. 4 seed found herself in the spotlight after declining to answer a question about the American political climate, followed by a misleading video that appeared to accuse her of hitting a ball kid during a match.

So when a reporter asked if she felt her words had been misinterpreted, Anisimova said without hesitation, ” I didn’t even hit the ball kid.”

“You couldn’t even see it in the clip, and just people are always saying something, and yeah, people just love talking about stuff that’s not even about the tennis,” she clarified.

So while Amanda Anisimova isn’t willing to entertain false claims or pointless hate, she looks fully focused on chasing her first Australian Open title. And when it comes to political question, she’s far from alone in being asked them.

The American stars who’ve also fielded questions about U.S. politics

Just a few days earlier, Coco Gauff was asked a similar question after her second-round win over Olga Danilovic at the Australian Open. Gauff was questioned about the state of America under Donald Trump’s second administration. The moment shifted away from the match and toward politics.

The 21-year-old responded thoughtfully. “I hope forward that we can have a lot more peace in our country and more kindness in the way we speak to each other about different topics,” she said.

She also admitted how exhausting those conversations can be: “I’ve been pretty vocal about how I felt. At this point, I feel a bit fatigued talking about it. It’s hard being a Black woman in this country and experiencing things, even online, seeing marginalized communities being affected, and knowing I can only donate and speak out.”

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“I try my best to do that. But I hope that as time continues, we can reach a state we’re not currently in and keep moving forward,” she added.

Similarly, Madison Keys was also asked about the political landscape after her third-round win over Karolína Plíšková.  “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,” she said.

While Keys was unable to secure a fourth-round win today against Jessica Pegula, Coco Gauff will move on to her quarterfinal match tomorrow, once again representing the American flag. As for Amanda Anisimova, she’ll face Pegula next in the quarterfinals on Wednesday, January 28, when temperatures in Australia are expected to be cooler, around 25°C (77°F).