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

Fox News Flash top sports headlines are here. Check out what's clicking on FoxNews.com.

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 reacts after defeating Marcos Giron in their first-round match at the Australian Open in Melbourne 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. 

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

"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 celebrates after defeating Daniil Medvedev in their fourth-round match at the Australian Open in Melbourne on Jan. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake)

AMANDA ANISIMOVA DEFENDS RIGHT TO AVOID