Learner Tien shuts down Trump question at Australian Open amid political grilling of American players

American tennis players continued to look questions astir the Trump medication and U.S. authorities astatine the Australian Open, with rising prima Learner Tien the latest to unopen down that enactment of inquiry.

Tien, who turned 20 conscionable past month, was speaking to the media aft his quarterfinal nonaccomplishment to No. 3 Alexander Zverev connected Tuesday erstwhile helium was asked by a reporter, "In the discourse of everything that’s been happening astatine the infinitesimal with [President Donald] Trump and ICE, what does your practice mean to you and however important are immigrants to American athletics today?"

Learner Tien of the U.S. reacts aft defeating compatriot Marcos Giron successful their first-round lucifer astatine the Australian Open tennis championships successful Melbourne, Australia. The lucifer took spot connected Jan. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake)

Tien, a California autochthonal whose parents emigrated from Vietnam, concisely paused earlier rubbing his brow and declining to engage. 

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"Um, sorry, I don’t truly privation to speech astir that close now."

Tien was the latest American asked to talk retired astir U.S. authorities implicit the past week. Taylor Fritz and Amanda Anisimova had a akin absorption erstwhile asked, and Madison Keys and Jessica Pegula attempted to reply the questions without getting excessively political. 

OutKick reported that freelance writer Owen Lewis, who has antecedently written for The Athletic, was the newsman asking those questions, but Tien appeared to beryllium asked that question by different journalist. 

Learner Tien of the U.S. celebrates aft defeating Daniil Medvedev successful their fourth-round lucifer astatine the Australian Open tennis championships successful Melbourne, Australia. The lucifer took spot connected Jan. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake)

AMANDA ANISIMOVA DEFENDS RIGHT TO AVOID 'CLICKBAIT' QUESTIONS ABOUT US POLITICS AT AUSTRALIAN OPEN

Anisimova precocious revisited the enactment of questioning during 1 of her postmatch property conferences. She said the newsman was looking for "clickbait" responses and that her determination not to reply was not an denotation of her politics.

"In my different property conference, the information that I didn’t privation to reply a question that was evidently intended for conscionable similar a header and clickbait, that was my right. It had thing to bash with my governmental views oregon thing similar that."

She continued, "The information that radical presume that they cognize my stance connected definite important topics is conscionable wrong. It’s not factual. It’s tough, but I’ve learned to get utilized to it."

Amanda Anisimova of the United States successful enactment against Simona Waltert of Switzerland successful the archetypal circular connected Day 2 of the 2026 Australian Open astatine Melbourne Park connected Jan. 19, 2026 successful Melbourne, Australia. (Robert Prange/Getty Images)

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Many societal media users, including erstwhile American tennis stars John Isner and Tennys Sandgren, came to the defence of the American players, portion others connected societal media person called connected the Australian Open to measurement in. 

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