“With Ben Shelton, it’s—he walks into a room and you go, oh, that guy is an athlete, he's a specimen. He is not like us. And then Learner Tien walks in and he's pretty unassuming. He's graceful, he's smooth, you can tell that he's got something going on but you don't know what it is. Is he, like, a tech wizard? Is he, you know, like, a—a violinist? No, he's one of the world's best tennis players, that's what Learner Tien is, and he's gonna continue to go up the rankings as long as he's healthy, 'cause he's certainly still ascendant."
I want to talk about this quote from Jim Courier during the second set of Learner Tien's match against Ben Shelton today. I'd love to hear what other people think.
As an Asian-American woman, hearing him describe Learner as a possible "tech wizard" or "violinist" is really upsetting. This feels like more than a microaggression—maybe a straight up aggression, because really, tech wizard? It brings up years and years of annoyance and hurt, not existing as a person beyond your presumed intelligence, feeling pressure to perform in every area because that's just what high-flying Asians do. We are dull, boring people, expected to have little personality beyond our achievements. (Thanks, Querrey.)
But even beyond that, it hurts extra. Maybe because, in my opinion, Learner is already one of the least stereotypical Asians you could find, and yet he's still flippantly reduced to looking like a fucking tech wizard.
This is a 5 foot 11 (!) Asian-American man whose size people often discuss like he is 5 foot 4. People assume he's a pusher with no power. That just because he doesn't show his emotions quickly on his face, he's some kind of zen master. One look at his game could tell you that's not true, but it's easier for them to just assume.
He has actively bucked the purely book-smart Asian nerd stereotype at every turn, if they would just pay a little attention—he has dedicated much of his life to tennis, barely went to college, really really doesn't want to work in an office. Doesn't know what social science is (and that's fine!). So how the fuck does that give violinist?
Instead he's collecting top ten wins like candy, giving honest yet polite interviews with plenty of personality from day one—yet this frankly racist stereotype is STILL projected onto him. What the fuck more can he do? And what chance do the rest of us stand?
Jim's attempts to soften the blow with praise afterwards do very little, in my opinion. Thanks for the kind words, Jim, but how does Learner looking "graceful" or "smooth" lead you to the conclusion that he might be a tech wizard? Or is it something about his face and ethnicity instead?
Sorry for the scuffed TV recording. I heard about this quote on r/tennis, but was unable to find it until just now on a TC live coverage rebroadcast—it's not present in their normal replay of the match.
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