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Learner Tien Declines Question Citing Trump and ICE After Australian Open Quarterfinal Loss

The exchange capped a week of reports that U.S. players have faced politically framed questions in Melbourne.

Overview

  • Tien, 20, reached his first Australian Open quarterfinal before losing to Alexander Zverev in four sets.
  • During the post‑match press conference, an unnamed reporter linked a question about Tien’s immigrant heritage to Trump and ICE.
  • After pausing and putting his face in his hands, Tien said, “Sorry, I don’t really want to talk about that right now.”
  • Right‑leaning outlets say similar questions were posed to other Americans earlier in the tournament, with one instance allegedly involving an Athletic freelancer.
  • Social media posts praised Tien for declining to engage, and no official response from tournament organizers was widely reported.