NEW YORK — It can be stressful speaking up and asking questions in press conferences, particularly in this digital media era. With every second of main press room audio and video streamed and immediately uploaded to YouTube—and then clipped for viral and spread by social media accounts—any awkward moment can incur social media backlash, scrutiny, and scorn. Sometimes the negative reactions online are undeserved and unfair; other times, they are good opportunities for learning and improving.
Lord knows some of these awkward moments have happened to me; they’ve certainly happened to other reporters, too, even at this U.S. Open.
But still, some tough questions need to be asked, because there are things people need to know. So with that in mind, I intrepidly raised my hand on Friday afternoon, ready to broach a topic that had caused improbable buzz this week around the U.S. Open.
It was going to be a high-risk, high-reward venture, but I force myself to be fearless as a journalist in these high-stakes situations. After all, surely someone had to ask Carlos Alcaraz about his nipples.
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