NEWYou can now listen to Pakinomist articles!
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 quarter-final loss to No. 3 Alexander Zverev on Tuesday when he was asked by a reporter: “In the context of everything that’s happened at the moment with [President Donald] Trump and ICE, what does your heritage mean to you and how important are immigrants to American sports today?”
Teacher Tien of the United States 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, paused briefly before rubbing his forehead and refusing to engage.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON Pakinomist
“Uh, sorry, I don’t really want to talk about it right now.”
Tien was the latest American to be asked to comment on US politics over the past week. Taylor Fritz and Amanda Anisimova had a similar reaction when asked, and Madison Keys and Jessica Pegula tried to answer the questions without getting too political.
OutKick reported that freelance journalist Owen Lewis, who previously wrote for The Athletic, was the reporter who asked those questions, but Tien appeared to be asked that question by another reporter.
Teacher Tien of the United States celebrates after defeating Daniil Medvedev in 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 ABOUT US POLITICS AT AUSTRALIAN OPEN
Anisimova recently revisited the line of questioning during one of her post-fight press conferences. She said the reporter was looking for “clickbait” responses and that her decision not to respond was not an indication of her politics.
“At my second press conference, it was my right not to answer a question that was obviously meant for like a headline and clickbait. 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 just wrong. It’s not factual. It’s hard, but I’ve learned to get used to it.”
Amanda Anisimova of the United States in action against Simona Waltert of Switzerland during the first round on Day 2 of the 2026 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 19, 2026 in Melbourne, Australia. (Robert Prange/Getty Images)
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE Pakinomist APP
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.
