ATP Tour

Rivalries of 2025: Medvedev vs. Tien

To mark the end of another thrilling season, ATPTour.com is unveiling our annual 'Best Of' series, which will reflect on the most intriguing rivalries, matches, comebacks, upsets and more. This week, we are looking at the best rivalries of the year.

Daniil Medvedev against Learner Tien was the rivalry that nobody saw coming in 2025. Medvedev began the season inside the Top 5 while Tien was outside the Top 100, hardly a setup for a recurring showdown. Yet their three Lexus ATP Head2Head meetings proved to be some of the most captivating of the year.

As all-court players capable of carving up opponents, their clashes became a series of compelling strategic equations. Another layer of intrigue lay in the battle between experience and youth as a former No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings took on a rising teenage sensation, while even the seven-inch height difference between the two has been of note in this budding rivalry.

All three of Medvedev and Tien’s Lexus ATP Head2Head meetings this year went to a deciding set, with the American lefty holding a 2-1 advantage over Medvedev. Tien started the year with a stunning five-set upset against Medvedev at the Australian Open and they would not meet again until the Asian hard-court swing, where two meetings in eight days ended in a split.

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Australian Open R64, Tien d. Medvedev 6-3, 7-6(4), 6-7(8), 1-6, 7-6(7)
The scoreline of Medvedev and Tien's Melbourne clash, featuring three tie-breaks, resembles a Sudoku puzzle more than a tennis match and the 2:54 a.m finish only added to the drama.

Tien held a match point in the third set, which Medvedev erased with an ace, but ultimately the match was destined for a Melbourne late-night classic instead of a straight-sets routine win. Medvedev was a defending finalist and had reached the title match on two other occasions, but the former World No. 1 let slip a 7/6 lead in the deciding-set tie-break, putting an end to his tournament. Tien captured four consecutive points and raised in his arms in relief, with a big smile painted across his face after clinching victory.

"I was definitely hoping it wouldn't go to a fifth-set breaker,” Tien admitted after the victory. “But I'm just happy to get a win. I know I made it a lot harder than maybe it could have been.”

Displaying crafty shotmaking and brickwall consistency throughout the four-hour, 48-minute thriller, Tien would eventually become the second-youngest American man to reach the Round of 16 at the season’s first major, alongside Pete Sampras, who reached the same stage aged 18. Meanwhile, Medvedev finished the major season with a 1-4 record.

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Beijing SFs, Tien d. Medvedev 5-7, 7-5, 4-0 retired
Early signs suggested Medvedev was on course to avenge his Melbourne defeat at the China Open in Beijing. Leading by a set and 4-1, and later serving for the match at 5-3, victory seemed within reach. But Tien refused to fade, staying composed in long rallies to draw errors from Medvedev and extend the semi-final clash at the ATP 500.

Medvedev went off court before the third set and returned with his upper right leg taped. He visibly struggled to move from the first point of the decider, seemingly dealing with cramps. After completing the fourth game, the 29-year-old limped to the net and shook hands with Tien, who advanced to his first tour-level final and became the second-youngest finalist in Beijing history behind Rafael Nadal.

“I had that belief that I was still in the match even though I was down a break,” Tien said of his comeback. “I had the confidence that I could break him because I was able to break him a few times in the first set. I hung around and it worked out.”

Shanghai R16, Medvedev d. Tien 7-6(6), 6-7(1), 6-4
Just eight days after Medvedev was forced to retire in Beijing, he was again standing across the net from Tien and the third time was the charm. In a drama-laced Rolex Shanghai Masters fourth-round clash, Medvedev overcame physical struggles late in the second set and summoned a gritty late surge to victory.

A high-quality opener set the tone for one of the season’s best matches. Then, the drama intensified when Medvedev began cramping at 6-5 in the second set. He asked his coaching team for pickle juice and spoke with the physio before the tie-break, saying in desperation, “What do you think I can do?” Hobbling around the court, Medvedev’s fate looked destined for a repeat of Beijing as Tien dominated the tie-break.

Medvedev would not go down without a fight, however. Although frustrated with his physical state and despite frequently pleading with his team for answers, Medvedev surged to three consecutive games from 3-4 in the decider to cap the two-hour, 53-minute encounter. Medvedev’s rollercoaster victory was fuelled more by heart than anything else and he signed the camera lens afterwards: ‘I don’t want to leave the best city in the world yet!’

In his post-match interview, a relieved Medvedev reflected: “For me to beat him… I thought I was going to lose. I was cramping again and I’m just super happy to manage to do it.

“I think the toughest part was that we played two times [before], and in my opinion he is an unbelievable player, because he doesn’t have a great serve and serve is so important in tennis. Without the serve, he is 19 years old and 30-something in the world and only going up. In my opinion he is such a good tennis player. He feels the game so well.”