It’s been a whirlwind 2025 for Learner Tien.
The 19-year-old began the year with his first win at a Grand Slam at the Australian Open in January before becoming the youngest man since Rafael Nadal in 2005 to reach the fourth round.
Learner Tien has emerged as a promising American prospectGETTYIn that same tournament, he announced himself to the world when he claimed his maiden Top 10 win by defeating Daniil Medvedev.
Hailing from Irvine, California, in the US, Tien is the latest American star to emerge in recent years.
He honed his passion on community courts in Irvine under his father, and his early passion for the sport quickly turned into quality.
“I started when I was little older than one,” Tien told the Guardian last month.
“I think [it was] one of my dad’s old rackets that were lying around. So they didn’t really even expect for me or my sister to start playing tennis that young. So it’s not like they were prepped with little kiddy rackets or anything.
“My parents would play recreationally. I got to the courts a couple times a week, just with my dad, just watching him play in random men’s leagues.
“So that’s kind of how I got introduced. Eventually my dad started taking me to the courts, randomly feeding me balls from a pretty young age, and then it kind of just progressed from there on.”
He went on to excel in junior tournaments and secured a spot in the prestigious United States Tennis Association youth development programme.
Although tennis for a while wasn’t Tien’s priority, he had entered high school early at the age of 11 after being homeschooled by his mom, who named him Learner in homage to her profession as a teacher.
“The tennis wasn’t really in the picture yet,” Tien says.
Zverev and Tien battled out in Mexico in FebuaryGETTY Tien announced himself to the world with his Australian Open runGETTY“My sister is a few years older than me, so my mom retired when my sister was born, so she was already just at home with my sister starting to teach my sister. So she just thought she’d teach me, too.
“I started school young. I would work through the year. I wouldn’t have summer break and stuff like that. I would just work throughout the year. So I just naturally finished those early grades pretty quick. And then, yeah, I didn’t see really a reason just to stop me there. So I just went into high school.
“I obviously like tennis more than I like school, so it was a good motivation for me to kind of get away from school just to go and play. But throughout juniors, my parents did a very good job, honestly, of not putting a lot of pressure on me to win”
Now it’s May 2025, and tennis is definitely Tien’s priority.
As another Grand Slam awaits Tien with the French Open here, where he automatically qualified for with his World No. 67 ranking.
Although he has a mammoth task in the first round with World No.3 and last year’s finalist Alexander Zverev as his first hurdle.
Tien, in his short career, has history with Zverev, as he beat the German 6-3, 6-4 in the Round of 16 of the Mexican Open in February.
The left-handed star became the youngest player to win his first two matches against top-five opponents and only the second American after Jimmy Connors.
“I just went out there and tried to control my side of the court,” Tien said after toppling Zverev.
“Obviously I knew it was going to be a tough match. To come through feels great. … I think just focusing on what I can control and keeping my cool as best as I can has really taken me a long way.”
Although playing Zverev on hard-court will be nothing like playing him on clay.
Tien will also be looking to reverse the fortunes of American struggles in Paris, as there hasn’t been a champion at Roland Garros since 2015, when Serena Williams won the trophy.
Zverev reached the French Open final last year but lost to AlcarazGETTYAnd there hasn’t been a men’s American champion at the French Open since Andre Agassi in 1999.
It’s why Tien told the ATP ahead of the Madrid Open that clay courts are a surface he still needs to build experience on.
“It’s definitely different the clay, very different from what I’ve played on before. I have had a hit here and I will adjust to it but I don’t have a lot of experience on clay in general and the clay in the United States is not the same as here,” Tien said.
“But I think it’s a great learning opportunity. If not now, then in the next couple of years, I’m sure the experience will help me a lot. That is what I will try and take from these next weeks.”
At the very least for Tien, an opportunity to play one of the world’s best in Zverev, likely on one of the show courts at Roland Garros, will be a good learning experience.
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