ATP Tour

After 'one of the worst first bowls in history', Tiafoe wins Brisbane opener

Frances Tiafoe and Learner Tien may have closed the 2025 season on very different notes, but both began the new year in impressive fashion on Sunday at the Brisbane International presented by ANZ.

After losing his final five matches of 2025, Tiafoe responded with a composed 6-2, 6-2 victory over Aleksandar Vukic. The World No. 30 struck 12 winners while committing just eight unforced errors in a tidy 60-minute display.

“It’s good to be back in Brisbane,” said Tiafoe, who also attended the Brisbane Heat cricket match on Friday. “I think I had one of the worst first bowls in history… But that was a lot of fun. It was a great first cricket experience for me.”

Tiafoe, the former No. 10 player in the PIF ATP Rankings, now awaits a second-round meeting with top seed Daniil Medvedev or Marton Fucsovics.

Tien was also a winner on Day 1 in Brisbane. The 20-year-old earned a hard-fought 7-6(4), 6-3 win over Camilo Ugo Carabelli, continuing on from the form with which he won consecutive titles in Metz and at the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF to end 2025.

“It was a lot harder of a match than the score may seem,” said Tien, who is making his Brisbane debut. “First win of the year… I’m really happy to kickstart my Aussie swing with a win and I’m feeling good. It feels crazy that it was already a year ago the last time I was here [in Australia]. I have really great memories here, dating back to juniors, and I’m super happy to be back.”