As the journeyman’s Cinderella run through the Australian Open has invited scrutiny of his political views, a modern dilemma resurfaces
The final five words of Tennys Sandgren’s 17-word Twitter bio are: “likes/rtwts are not endorsements.” It’s a line many Twitter users post as a means to insulate their employer and associates from any controversial opinions they may share, such as a distaste for the McDonald’s McRib sandwich or actually enjoying Mondays. But in Sandgren’s case, the line sits there like an attempt to say: Hey, just because I read, like and share alt-right bigotry does not mean I’m an alt-right bigot.
A week ago, few knew or cared about Tennys Sandgren’s Twitter account. Most didn’t even know who Tennys Sandgren was. But that was before the 26-year old from Tennessee, the 97th-ranked player in the world who didn’t even make it off the Challenger tour until last year, went on an improbable run to the men’s quarter-finals at the Australian Open, including a five-set victory over Dominic Thiem, the No5 player in the world. It was a feel-good story. Until some fans checked the verified Twitter account run by Tennys and immediately stopped feeling good.
Related: Tennys Sandgren deletes tweets after denying far-right sympathies at Australian Open
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