Aiming for a shock: Learner Tien working with former French Open champion to solve Novak Djokovic puzzle

Learner Tien is working with a former World No.2 and French Open champion to solve the Novak Djokovic puzzle later this evening at the US Open. That being Michael Chang.

Chang first met Tien at the Hong Kong Open earlier this year and the coach of Tien at the time saw the potential of Chang being involved especially given they live 20 minutes from each other in California in what was a spooky coincidence.

Tien now travels with Erik Kortland, his junior coach who began working with Chang the week before Washington and he will benefit from having the legendary American in his box ahead of Sunday evening when he takes on 24-time major champion Novak Djokovic in the first round of the US Open.

“I'm trying to help him as best as I can,” Chang told ATPTour.com. “This is not always an easy year for players when they come out, and they're playing the main Tour, the first year out, which is really kind of what it is for him. Last year, he played a lot of Challengers and did really, really well at the end of the year. But this whole year has been new for him. He's been handling it well, and obviously is doing great.”

But while Tien himself having dumped out Daniil Medvedev at the Australian Open has the perchance to produce shocks, it is very much going to be a nothing to lose mentality going into his tie with the all-time great. Chang likes his draw but isn't getting carried away about the thought of beating him.

Albeit both Djokovic and Pegula's match on Arthur Ashe on Sunday will likely be on upset watch for the sole reason that Djokovic is more susceptible nowadays to early losses and Pegula herself has lost a mark of consistency. For Tien it will be about finding the keys in the best possible way to thwart Djokovic and going in with a nothing to lose mindset frees him up to play his own game.

“I like his draw. Obviously Novak is one of the greatest players to play tennis, if not the G.O.A.T. himself. Learner has nothing to lose. He has everything to gain,” Chang said. “Certainly, growing up, Novak would have been one of the great champions he has watched growing up and he is the last of his group of unbelievable players: Rafa and Roger and Andy, all part of that.

“For [Learner] to get an opportunity to play one of them is very special and let's not deny the fact that Novak is still playing unbelievable tennis. If Sinner and Alcaraz are not in his way, he could have very easily added more Grand Slams to his resume. But at the same time, Learner has nothing to lose tomorrow night.”

But while that is the case, Chang said that he should draw confidence from the fact that he has beaten players who have beaten Djokovic in previous Grand Slams. From starting off the year in World No.122, he is now World No.48. A player firmly on the rise.

“I don't know how he's necessarily going to be coming out. We’ll obviously expect him to play his best, as he always does, in Grand Slam events,” Chang said. “But Learner showed throughout this season that he can give the best players a lot of trouble. And he's beating some guys that had beaten Novak in past Grand Slams and he should draw confidence from that.”

Their match is first up on Arthur Ashe scheduled just after midnight European time on Sunday with Ben Shelton and Aryna Sabalenka taking centre slot in the day session.