American tennis players at the Australian Open continue to face political questions about the Trump administration, with rising star Learner Tien becoming the latest to decline comment.

Ben Shelton, Taylor Fritz, Tommy Paul, and Frances Tiafoe may get most of the ink, but there is another rising American star in tennis. For the second year in a row, Learner Tien finds himself in the business end of the Australian Open,

MELBOURNE, Australia — Learner Tien is the youngest man to reach the Australian Open quarterfinals in 11 years. He's the youngest American man to go so far in a Grand Slam event since 2002. And he didn't have to go the distance again with three-time runner-up Daniil Medvedev to get there.

Learner Tien is now the youngest U.S. player to reach a major men’s quarterfinal since Andy Roddick in 2002.

Zverev, just like others, expected a difficult match in which Medvedev would create serious problems for the young player.

20-year-old Learner Tien impressed with his composure during his breakthrough run at the Australian Open. The American handled the pressure of a Grand Slam with maturity, not only in his performances on court but also in how he has dealt with growing media attention.

Alexander Zverev is eyeing a fourth appearance in the Australian Open semifinals as he will take on 25th-seeded Learner Tien in the quarterfinals of the 2026 edition. Zverev finished as runner-up in the Australian Open 2025 and his goal will be to redeem himself to his maiden grand slam title this time.

At the press conference after the match, Shelton shared his view of the young Learner Tien, but also of Iva Jovic.