Tennys Sandgren. Pic/AFP

Controversial American tennis player Tennys Sandgren has emphatically denied holding far- wing political views, while thanking his critics for keeping him "intellectually honest". The 26-year-old, a devout Christian, came under intense scrutiny at the Australian Open last week over his apparent support on Twitter for alt-right groups in the United States. He was also accused of homophobia, with Serena Williams saying an "entire group of people deserves an apology" over a tweet he posted in 2012 about a visit to a gay club that he said left "his eyes bleeding".