A reporter at the Australian Open has been asking American tennis stars their thoughts on the country and what it's like to represent the Stars and Stripes.

Ben Shelton apparently gave his answer without even being asked.

After a victory over Valentin Vacherot in the third round of the Australian Open early Saturday morning, Shelton took part in the tennis tradition of signing a camera but delivered a pointed message.

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"USA ‘til it’s backwards," Shelton signed. The phrase is a play on modern slang used to signal unwavering support or "standing on business" for a cause.

Taylor Fritz, Coco Gauff, Madison Keys, Amanda Anisimova and Naomi Osaka have all been asked similar questions by a single reporter at the Australian Open. Anisimova was specifically asked if she had any feelings on playing for the country "in the context of the last year of everything that’s been happening in the U.S.," and if it "complicate[d]" her thoughts.

"I don’t think that’s relevant," she fired back.

John Isner and Tennys Sandgren slammed the reporter on social media.

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"Popular opinion: Let’s ask tennis questions to the players at a tennis tournament. This is so lame," Isner wrote on X.

"Bug reporter," Sandgren added. "Go write for the Economist if you have the chops. If not ask her how her backhand felt and move on."

Gauff was asked about her thoughts on the "state of the U.S." one year into President Donald Trump’s second term.

"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 and things like that," she said, via The Tennis Letter. "Obviously, I’ve been pretty vocal about how I felt. At this point, I feel a bit fatigued talking about it just because of the fact that it is hard also being a Black woman in this country and having to experience things, even online, and seeing marginalized communities being affected. And knowing that I can only donate and speak out. I try my best to do that.

"But, yeah, I hope that as time continues that we can reach a state that we’re not currently in, and we keep moving forward. I posted the video of Martin Luther King and that was kind of saying, ‘We must keep moving forward,’ even as things may not be as calm as I’d like it to be right now."

Fox News' Ryan Gaydos contributed to this report.

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The massive winter storm set to hit states across the country has caused more than 15,000 flight disruptions as Americans brace for snow, ice and low temperatures.

As of 5:40 a.m. on Saturday, the website FlightAware.com, which provides real-time data on flight disruptions, noted that nearly 10,000 flights had been canceled through Monday with another 5,000 being delayed.

American Airlines has seen the brunt of the disruptions on Saturday, with 822 flight cancellations and 30 delays, according to FlightAware. Southwest Airlines was shown to be the second most impacted airline with 571 cancellations and 33 delays, followed by Delta Airlines with 165 cancellations and 33 delays. United Airlines is the least impacted of the four, but still has 150 cancellations and 45 delays.

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The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Saturday reported airport closures across the country, including Harry Reid International Airport, John Wayne Airport and San Diego International Airport. Meanwhile, weather and air traffic professionals are hard at work monitoring the situation to ensure the safety of air travelers across the country.

In a video released by the agency on social media, Air Traffic Watch Officer Joshua Jennings explained the efforts taken to ensure safety, including snow removal and the de-icing of aircraft. Additionally, the FAA is urging Americans to check its website for updates on airport information.

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This weekend's historic winter storm spans over 2,300 miles with weather alerts as far west as New Mexico sweeping across the country to Maine. More than 190 million Americans are under some type of winter weather alert, breaking the record for the most number of U.S. counties simultaneously under a Winter Storm Warning, FOX Weather reported.

On Friday, the National Weather Service (NSW) urged Americans in the storm's path to take it seriously, advising that individuals should "avoid travel if at all possible."

President Donald Trump shared the NWS message on Truth Social and said the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) was ready to respond.

"I have been briefed on the record cold wave and historic winter storm that will be hitting much of the United States this weekend. The Trump Administration is coordinating with state and local officials. FEMA is fully prepared to respond," Trump wrote, adding, "Stay safe and stay warm!"