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American tennis players continued to face questions about the Trump administration and American politics at the Australian Open, with rising star Learner Tien the latest to shut down that line of inquiry.
Tien, who turned 20 last month, was speaking to the media after his quarterfinal loss to No. 3 Alexander Zverev on Tuesday when a reporter asked him: “In the context of everything that’s happening right now with [President Donald] Trump and ICE, what does your heritage mean to you and how important are immigrants in American sports today? »
American learner Tien reacts after defeating compatriot Marcos Giron in their first round match at the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne, Australia. The match took place on January 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake)
Tien, a California native whose parents emigrated from Vietnam, briefly paused before rubbing his eyebrows and refusing to engage.
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“Um, sorry, I don’t really want to talk about that right now.”
Tien was the last American invited to speak on American politics last week. Taylor Fritz and Amanda Anisimova had a similar reaction when asked the question, and Madison Keys and Jessica Pegula attempted to answer the questions without getting too political.
OutKick reported that freelance journalist Owen Lewis, who previously wrote for The Athletic, was the reporter asking these questions, but Tien appeared to have been asked this question by another reporter.
American learner Tien celebrates after defeating Daniil Medvedev during their fourth round match at the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne, Australia. The match took place on January 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake)
AMANDA ANISIMOVA DEFENDS RIGHT TO AVOID ‘CLICKBAIT’ QUESTIONS ON US POLITICS AT AUSTRALIAN OPEN
Anisimova recently revisited the line of questioning during one of her post-match press conferences. She said the reporter was looking for “clickbait” responses and that his decision not to respond was not an indication of his political views.
“At my other press conference, the fact that I didn’t want to answer a question that was obviously intended as a headline and clickbait, that was my right. It had nothing to do with my political views or anything like that.”
She continued, “The fact that people assume they know my position on certain important issues is simply wrong. It’s not factual. It’s difficult, but I’ve learned to get used to it.”
Amanda Anisimova of the United States in action against Simona Waltert of Switzerland in the first round on day two of the 2026 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 19, 2026 in Melbourne, Australia. (Robert Prange/Getty Images)
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Many social media users, including former American tennis stars John Isner and Tennys Sandgren, came to the defense of the American players, while others on social media called on the Australian Open to intervene.
