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American tennis players continued to face questions about the Trump administration and U.S. politics at the Australian Open, with rising star Learner Tien the latest to shut down that line of inquiry.
Tien, who turned 20 just last month, was speaking to the media after his quarterfinal loss to No. 3 Alexander Zverev on Tuesday when he was asked by a reporter, “In the context of everything that’s been happening at the moment with [President Donald] Trump and ICE, what does your heritage mean to you and how important are immigrants to American sport today?”
Learner Tien of the U.S. 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 Jan. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake)
Tien, a California native whose parents emigrated from Vietnam, briefly paused before rubbing his brow and declining to engage.
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“Um, sorry, I don’t really want to talk about that right now.”
Tien was the latest American asked to speak out about U.S. politics over the last week. Taylor Fritz and Amanda Anisimova had a similar reaction when asked, and Madison Keys and Jessica Pegula attempted to answer the questions without getting too political.
OutKick reported that freelance journalist Owen Lewis, who has previously written for The Athletic, was the reporter asking those questions, but Tien appeared to be asked that question by another journalist.
Learner Tien of the U.S. celebrates after defeating Daniil Medvedev in their fourth-round match at the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne, Australia. The match took place on Jan. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake)
AMANDA ANISIMOVA DEFENDS RIGHT TO AVOID ‘CLICKBAIT’ QUESTIONS ABOUT US POLITICS AT AUSTRALIAN OPEN
Anisimova recently revisited the line of questioning during one of her postmatch press conferences. She said the reporter was looking for “clickbait” responses and that her decision not to answer was not an indication of her politics.
“In my other press conference, the fact that I didn’t want to answer a question that was obviously intended for just like 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 that they know my stance on certain important topics is just wrong. It’s not factual. It’s tough, 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 2 of the 2026 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on Jan. 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 have called on the Australian Open to step in.
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