Tien reflects on early success ahead of Medvedev meeting at 2026 Australian Open

MELBOURNE, Australia – A year can turn anonymity into expectation in tennis. Learner Tien is living the upgrade.

Twelve months after grinding through qualifying at the Australian Open, the Southern California left-hander is back as a seeded player, a fourth-rounder, and a familiar problem for former world No. 1 Daniil Medvedev.

That growth has coincided with a major coaching change. Midway through last season, Tien began working with Michael Chang, the 1989 Roland Garros champion who formerly coached Kei Nishikori of Japan.

Early results started coming fast.

Over the closing months of 2025, Tien reached his first ATP final in Beijing, captured his maiden title in Metz and capped the season by winning the NextGen Finals, separating himself from his peers in the process. He also solidified his place in the Top 30.

Tien said he had no real relationship with Chang before they began working together last summer, though they lived about 20 minutes apart.

Although Chang, a former world No. 2, had long lived in California, Tien said they had never crossed paths. Their first conversation came only after Wimbledon, when the coaching partnership was put in motion by his agent.

Even a childhood photo of the two together, later sent to him by his mother, came as a surprise and sparked no memory.

“But I beat him last time. So now I know who he is. I know how he plays. He knows how I play. We pretty much know what we are going to do already. I'm going to really try to enjoy playing against a very strong opponent that is probably going to be very good in the future.”

Medvedev isn’t the only one who thinks Tien’s game still has significant room to grow.

“I'm super impressed with Learner,” said 19th-seeded American Tommy Paul, who also reached the fourth round Friday. “He's obviously been putting up some really good results. He's climbing up the rankings really fast. He's a tricky player and does not miss much at all.”

Tien can count on good vibes and strong support Down Under. His game has meshed well with the Aussie summer since he first came as a junior in 2023 and reached the boys’ singles final.

“I've just always enjoyed playing here,” said Tien. “I don't know if it’s the courts. Definitely, the support is always amazing when I come. It's always a special place for me to come back to.”

“It's only my third year here, but I feel like I've been coming here a lot longer than that,” he added. 

So do his opponents. They’re learning quickly.