It has been a year of firsts for Learner Tien. In January, the 19-year-old earned his first win at a Grand Slam, becoming the youngest man since Rafael Nadal in 2005 to reach the fourth round of the Australian Open. Along the way, he claimed his maiden Top 10 victory, upsetting Daniil Medvedev.
Tien followed that with his first ATP 500 quarter-final appearance in Acapulco, where he notched another impressive win over Alexander Zverev. Now, he arrives at the Mutua Madrid Open looking to build on that momentum during his debut European clay swing.
“It’s a lot to take in, playing all these new events,” Tien told ATPTour.com on Media Day in Madrid. “I’m playing in places I’ve never been, in countries I’ve never visited. But I’m trying to enjoy it all. It’s my first real go at the full Tour, so I’m just soaking it all in. It is cool to share the locker room with the top players, something I am getting used to. I am just excited to play these events.
“There are times when having no language barrier back home in the US makes things easier, but it’s also great to experience new places and cultures. I’m enjoying that.”
The 2024 Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF runner-up had never visited Europe prior to his arrival in Munich last week, when he advanced through qualifying before losing to Tallon Griekspoor in the first round at the ATP 500.
Now in Madrid, Tien is set to compete in just his third tour-level match on clay. The lefty is excited to build his experience on the surface but is not setting expectations high.
“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.”
Tien was a consistent winner on the ATP Challenger Tour last season, lifting three trophies at the level. He finished 2024 by advancing to the title match at the 20-and-under event in Jeddah and then grabbed headlines with his Australian Open run.
Tien’s success has resulted in him packing out stadiums and last month’s match against Joao Fonseca in Miami was a clear example of that. The crowd inside Hard Rock Stadium created a carnival atmosphere, an experience Tien is grateful to have had.
“I knew going into it that one with Joao there would be a lot of Brazilian fans, and that’s totally deserved, he always draws a big crowd. But I think it’s fun,” Tien said. “It adds drama and suspense to the match, which I enjoy.
"Once I step on court, I don’t think about it too much. But afterward, I can reflect and be like, ‘Yeah, that was pretty cool, having all those fans watch’. When the whole arena is locked in from the first point, it just makes the match more exciting. I have noticed there are way more people at my matches now and I love that.”
Tien, No. 69 in the PIF ATP Rankings, will hope to put on a show for the Madrid crowd on Thursday when he takes on Marcos Giron in the pair’s first Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting. If he advances, he will face Italian Matteo Berrettini in the second round.
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