Learner Tien (born December 2, 2005) is an American tennis player. He has a career-high ATP singles ranking of world No. 151 achieved on 16 September 2024. He also has a career-high doubles ranking of No. 754 achieved on 20 November 2023.
_04.jpg) Tien at the 2024 US Open | |
| Country (sports) |  United States |
|---|---|
| Residence | Irvine, California, United States |
| Born | December 2, 2005 |
| Turned pro | 2023 |
| Plays | Left-handed (two-handed backhand)[1] |
| College | University of Southern California[2] |
| Coach | Eric Diaz |
| Prize money | US$ 353,589 |
| Singles | |
| Career record | 3–4 (at ATP Tour level, Grand Slam level, and in Davis Cup) |
| Career titles | 0 |
| Highest ranking | No. 151 (16 September 2024) |
| Current ranking | No. 151 (16 September 2024)[1] |
| Grand Slam singles results | |
| US Open | 1R (2022, 2023, 2024) |
| Doubles | |
| Career record | 0–0 (at ATP Tour level, Grand Slam level, and in Davis Cup) |
| Career titles | 0 |
| Highest ranking | No. 754 (20 November 2023) |
| Current ranking | No. 909 (23 September 2024)[1] |
| Grand Slam doubles results | |
| Australian Open Junior | W (2023) |
| French Open Junior | QF (2023) |
| Wimbledon Junior | 2R (2022) |
| US Open Junior | 2R (2022) |
| Grand Slam mixed doubles results | |
| US Open | 1R (2024) |
| Last updated on: 28 September 2024. | |
Early life
editTien was born in Irvine, California to Vietnamese parents. His first name, Learner, is inspired by his mother's profession - a math teacher.[3] His sister is named Justice after his father's profession – an attorney.
Tien started playing tennis as an infant, and won his first tournament at the Racquet Club of Irvine at the age of 5.[4]
Junior career
editTien had a very successful career as a junior, compiling a 76-23 win-loss record and reaching two junior Grand Slam finals, at the 2023 Australian Open and the 2023 US Open, culminating with a ranking of world no. 4 in singles. He also reached the world no. 4 ranking in doubles, compiling a 36-18 win-loss record and winning the 2023 Australian Open, partnering Cooper Williams.
Junior Grand Slam singles results
editAustralian Open: F (2023)
French Open: SF (2023)
Wimbledon: QF (2022, 2023)
US Open: F (2023)
Junior Grand Slam doubles results
editAustralian Open:
W (2023)
French Open: QF (2023)
Wimbledon: 2R (2022)
US Open: 2R (2022)
Professional career
edit2022-2023: Junior National champion, Major debut
editAt just 16 years old, Tien won the 2022 USTA Boys 18s National Championship, which earned him a wildcard into the main draw of the 2022 US Open. This made him the youngest player to compete in the men’s singles main draw at the US Open since a then 16 years old Donald Young (also the champion at Kalamazoo) played in the 2005 US Open and also the first player aged 16 to compete since Zachary Svajda in 2019.[5] He lost in four sets to 32nd seed Miomir Kecmanović.
In August 2023, he received a wildcard into the 2023 US Open but lost to Frances Tiafoe in the first round.[6]
2024: First Challenger titles & ATP wins & quarterfinal, top 155
editIn July, he also received a wildcard for the 2024 Cranbrook Tennis Classic in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan where he lifted his maiden Challenger title. He became the youngest American Challenger champion since 2016, when an 18-year-old Frances Tiafoe won in Granby, Canada.[7][8] He also won the M25 in Lakewood, California increasing his winning streak to 25.[9][10] At the end of July, a week later, he made again the quarterfinals at the 2024 Chicago Men's Challenger and reached the top 250 in the rankings on 29 July 2024. He reached his second Challenger semifinal of the season defeating eight seed Hong Seong-chan.[11] He lost to Yunchaokete Bu, ending a 28 match winning streak across ITF and ATP Challenger tournaments. A week later, he also made the quarterfinals at the 2024 Lexington Challenger but lost to Hugo Grenier.[12]
He secured a main draw wildcard for the US Open by winning the US Open wildcard challenge.[13][14][15]
Ranked No. 231, he qualified for the main draw at the 2024 Winston-Salem Open and defeated fellow qualifier Tristan Schoolkate and upset ninth seed Fábián Marozsán[16] and Thiago Seyboth Wild to record his first three ATP Tour wins and reach his first quarterfinal in his career. He became the youngest American ATP tour-level quarterfinalist since Brandon Nakashima in 2020 (in Delray Beach). As a result he climbed close to 40 positions in the singles rankings to the top 195 at world No. 191 on 26 August 2024.[17]
Ranked No. 191, he won his second Challenger title in Las Vegas defeating Tristan Boyer and moved another 40 positions in the singles rankings reaching a new career-high of world No. 151 on 16 September 2024.[18]
ATP Challenger and ITF World Tennis Tour finals
editSingles: 10 (9 titles, 1 runner-up)
edit
|
|
| Result | W–L | Date | Tournament | Tier | Surface | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 1–0 | Jul 2024 | Cranbrook Tennis Classic, USA | Challenger | Hard |  Nishesh Basavareddy
|
4–6, 6–3, 6–4 |
| Win | 2–0 | Sep 2024 | Las Vegas Challenger, USA | Challenger | Hard | Tristan Boyer
|
7–5, 1–6, 6–3 |
| Result | W–L | Date | Tournament | Tier | Surface | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 0–1 | Oct 2022 | M15 Fayetteville, USA | WTT | Hard |  Toby Samuel
|
3–6, 3–6 |
| Win | 1–1 | Jun 2023 | M15 Irvine, USA | WTT | Hard | Quinn Vandecasteele
|
7–5, 6–2 |
| Win | 2–1 | Oct 2023 | M15 Norman, USA | WTT | Hard (i) |  Duarte Vale
|
7–6(8–6), 6–2 |
| Win | 3–1 | Nov 2023 | M25 Columbus, USA | WTT | Hard (i) | Jacob Fearnley
|
2–0 ret. |
| Win | 4–1 | May 2024 | M15 San Diego, USA | WTT | Hard |  Karue Sell
|
6–7(6–8), 6–2, 6–2 |
| Win | 5–1 | Jun 2024 | M15 San Diego, USA | WTT | Hard | Alafia Ayeni
|
6–4, 6–7(5–7), 6–4 |
| Win | 6–1 | Jun 2024 | M15 Rancho Santa Fe, USA | WTT | Hard | Matthew Summers
|
6–3, 6–1 |
| Win | 7–1 | Jul 2024 | M15 Lakewood, USA | WTT | Hard | Govind Nanda
|
6–3, 6–3 |
Doubles: 4 (4 titles)
edit
|
|
| Result | W–L | Date | Tournament | Tier | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 1–0 | Nov 2022 | M15 East Lansing, USA | WTT | Hard (i) | Alex Michelsen
|
Joshua Goodger Emile Hudd
|
6–4, 6–3 |
| Win | 2–0 | Jun 2023 | M15 Irvine, USA | WTT | Hard | Bryce Nakashima
|
Joshua Goodger Matthew Summers
|
6–4, 6–2 |
| Win | 3–0 | Nov 2023 | M25 Austin, USA | WTT | Hard |  Edward Winter
|
Sebastian Gorzny Brayden Michna
|
4–6, 6–3, [10–2] |
| Win | 4–0 | May 2024 | M15 San Diego, USA | WTT | Hard | Sebastian Gorzny
|
 Robin Catry Braden Shick
|
1–6, 6–3, [10–1] |
Junior Grand Slam finals
editSingles: 2 (2 runner-ups)
edit| Result | Year | Tournament | Surface | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 2023 | Australian Open | Hard |  Alexander Blockx
|
1–6, 6–2, 6–7(9–11) |
| Loss | 2023 | US Open | Hard | João Fonseca
|
6–4, 4–6, 3–6 |
Doubles: 1 (1 title)
edit| Result | Year | Tournament | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 2023 | Australian Open | Hard | Cooper Williams
|
Alexander Blockx João Fonseca
|
6–4, 6–4 |
Explanatory notes
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c "Learner Tien". ATP Tour. Retrieved January 27, 2023.
- ^ "Learner Tien - Men's Tennis - USC Athletics".
- ^ "Irvine teenager Learner Tien finds positives after loss at U.S. Open tennis tournament". The Orange County Register. August 30, 2022.
- ^ "Elliott: Learner Tien's rise has tennis world noticing Southern California left-hander". Los Angeles Times. July 16, 2023.
- ^ "New Kalamazoo Champ Learner Tien To Join Elite Group of 16-Year-Olds To Play The U.S. Open". World Tennis Magazine. August 15, 2022. Retrieved August 17, 2022.
- ^ "Five Things To Know About Learner Tien". August 27, 2023.
- ^ "Tien Wins Cranbrook Tennis Classic, Earns Maiden Challenger Title". July 8, 2024.
- ^ "Challenger Q2: #NextGenATP teens Schwaerzler, Debru shine". ATPTour. July 17, 2024. Retrieved September 9, 2024.
- ^ "LEARNER TIEN WINS FIFTH STRAIGHT PRO TITLE AS MATCH WINNING STREAK EXTENDS TO 25 AT FINAL SOCAL PRO SERIES EVENT". USTA SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. July 14, 2024.
- ^ "No second guessing, just learning: Tien's recipe for Challenger success". July 19, 2024.
- ^ "My Wimbledon 14U Recap; Tien Rolls on at Chicago Challenger; All-USA Semifinals in Dallas and Champaign; House Settlement Tennis Roster Limits Set; 2025 NCAA Individual Championships Slated for USTA National Campus". July 26, 2024.
- ^ "Tennis. Lexington (CH) - Hugo Grenier est tombé face au jeune brésilien Fionseca" (in French). August 1, 2024.
- ^ @Tennis_Now (August 12, 2024). "Amanda Anisimova and Learner Tien have clinched wild cards into the @usopen" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ "Learner Tien's tennis win streak earned a U.S. Open wildcard – now just one win will do". The New York Times. August 26, 2024. Retrieved August 28, 2024.
- ^ "Inside Learner Tien's mindset: 'I just kept plugging away'". ATPTour. August 26, 2024. Retrieved September 15, 2024.
- ^ "#NextGenATP Tien continues dream ATP debut, ousts Marozsan in Winston-Salem". August 20, 2024. Retrieved August 20, 2024.
- ^ "Michelsen, Tien fly #NextGenATP flag in Winston-Salem". August 21, 2024. Retrieved August 21, 2024.
- ^ @damiankust (September 15, 2024). "Learner Tien wins his 2nd Challenger title, beating Tristan Boyer 7-5 1-6 6-3 in Las Vegas" (Tweet) – via Twitter.