'What is that?': US tennis player stuns fans with courtside drink
An American tennis player has left fans convinced she was drinking a beer during a match.
Amanda Anisimova, 24, came back from a set down to beat her Filipino opponent in the Round of 32 at the Cincinnati Open.
However, it was her actions courtside that confused spectators after she was caught drinking a fizzy drink from a plastic cup.
The drink had a similar colouring to beer and a frothy top, prompting the Tennis Channel commentators to speculate what it might be while watching the footage.
“What is that, Lindsay?” Tennis Channel commentator Brett Haber asked former world No 1 Lindsay Davenport.
“Could be apple cider, Brett?” she replied.
US tennis player Amanda Anisimova left fans confused with her choice of drink at the Cincinnati Open. Photo / Tennis Channel
“I mean I would never suggest that a player was drinking a beer in the middle of a match but that’s certainly what it looked like,” Haber said, with players banned from drinking alcohol during a match.
“I’ve never seen that,” Davenport continued.
Haber suggested it could be a non-alcoholic drink before moving on from the incident.
Fans were quick to share their thoughts on the situation, with some excited by the idea of her drinking a beer mid-match.
“Amanda Anisimova just casually slugs Miller Lite, hits 74 unforced errors, and easily defeats Alexandra Eala,” one X user wrote.
“This is what American tennis is ALL about!”
“After losing the first set, World No 10 Amanda Anisimova slugged a beer… then stormed all the way back for the win,” another user claimed.
However, others concluded it was more likely the two-time Grand Slam finalist was drinking an energy drink poured from a can into a cup.
The Tennis Channel’s coverage later confirmed this theory during its broadcast.
“We can confirm via one of our courtside camera operators that Anisimova asked for and was delivered a Red Bull,” Haber said during the third set.
“That is the mystery bevvy.”
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