Learner Tien was competing in the second round of a Grand Slam tournament for the first time in his young career.
The Australian Open is quickly becoming the place to see the best young talents on the ATP Tour.
Tien is the latest to impress, as he battled through in five sets to take down three-time finalist Daniil Medvedev in the second round.
The 19-year-old led by two sets to love before being pegged back by the ATP world number five.
Tien and Medvedev exchanged breaks in the fifth set before the young American eventually booked his spot in the third round with a 6-3, 7-6, 6-7, 1-6, 7-6 victory.
It was a sensational performance and one that will no doubt impress an American tennis legend, who was already raving about Tien before the match.
John McEnroe thinks Learner Tien is going to be a ‘formidable force’ in tennis
Speaking to Eurosport ahead of Tien’s big win over Medvedev, former world number one John McEnroe gave his thoughts on the emergence of the 19-year-old American.
“There are some new faces,” he said.
“[Joao] Fonseca, he is out there battling, with a lot higher expectations but [Learner] Tien in a way is getting that too.
“All of a sudden, he was at the Next Gen Finals, he was looking really good and he has just pulled out a tough five setter.”
Tien lost to Fonseca at the Next Gen ATP Finals last December, before he made his Australian Open debut earlier this month.
McEnroe went on to predict just how good his fellow American could turn out to be.
“I think he is going to be a formidable force,” he said.
“He is not a particularly big guy but he sure takes the ball early and hits a clean ball.
“I like what I am seeing from Tien right now.”
Teenagers continue to impress at the 2025 Australian Open
Tien’s five-set win against Medvedev was just one of several impressive performances from teenagers at this year’s Australian Open.
Six teenagers participated in the men’s Australian Open tournament in 2025, all experiencing varying degrees of success.
- (19 year old) Learner Tien – Beat [5] Daniil Medvedev to reach the third round
- (19 year old) Jakub Mensik – Beat [6] Casper Ruud to reach the third round
- (18 year old) Joao Fonseca – Beat [9] Andrey Rublev to reach the third round
- (19 year old) Nishesh Basavareddy – Took a set of [7] Novak Djokovic in the first round
- (19 year old) Martin Landaluce – Made his Grand Slam main draw debut after qualifying for the Australian Open
- (19 year old) Juncheng Shang – Retired during his first-round match with an injury to his right foot
Fonseca’s win over Rublev was one of the biggest shocks in recent memory, as the tennis world quickly compared the 18-year-old to the likes of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.
In the second round, Jakub Mensik took down Casper Ruud, to become the second teenager to secure a top-ten win at the tournament, in another fantastic performance.
Mensik and Tien are the two remaining teenagers in the men’s draw, and will now be preparing to play in the Australian Open third round for the first time in their young careers.
Czech 19-year-old Mensik will play Alejandro Davidovich Fokina on Friday, January 17, while Tien will face off against Corentin Moutet on Saturday, January 18.
Related Topics
Related News :