“Feel free to shout at me”: Learner Tien explains how he works with Michael Chang

The 20-year-old Learner Tien reached his first Grand Slam quarterfinals after defeating Daniil Medvedev in straight sets at the Australian Open. The American secured his best ranking as world No. 24 and will challenge Alexander Zverev in pursuit of the semifinals.

It was the fourth duel between Tien and Medvedev, and the American extended the head-to-head to 3–1. One year ago, Medvedev’s crisis began precisely with a defeat in Melbourne against an unknown Tien — a loss that caused him to drop sharply in the rankings. The American stated that it was one of the best matches he has played in his career.

“I definitely think I played close to my best, if not. I'm really happy with how I played from start to finish,” said the 20-year-old player in press conference. “Even when I was that big, I just tried not to let my foot off the gas. Obviously, Daniil is pretty dangerous from any score line. I know that firsthand from playing last year, so I'm super happy to get it done in straights.”

The 25th seed dominated the match from the beginning, taking a break as early as the first game, which he held onto to claim the opening set by maintaining his serve (6–4). From the 10th game of the first set, a streak of up to 11 consecutive games began for Tien — including five breaks of his opponent’s serve. Medvedev closed the gap toward the end, but the American sealed the impressive victory 6–4, 6–0, 6–3.

“I feel like I've been playing a little bit better match by match, and with each match, I'm making a little jump in how well I'm playing and how comfortable I feel,” commented Learner Tien. “Right now, I'm feeling better than I have all week, all year, so I'm really looking forward to it.”

It was the second consecutive year in which Tien eliminated Medvedev in Melbourne. One year earlier — in the second round — an unknown Tien claimed his first top-10 victory in a fifth-set tie-break, and Medvedev began a negative streak that months later saw him fall from his usual top-5 position (since 2019) to No. 18 after the US Open.

“I feel like I have a lot more experience now. I've only had a year since then, but that’s a lot more than I had back then. The mental clarity in some of these moments, knowing how to handle matches like these a little bit better, makes a really big difference.”

After taking the advantage, Tien was preparing to serve at 2–1 in the first set when the match had to be stopped for a few minutes due to the American suffering a nosebleed. “My nose started bleeding in the third game. I was really hoping that I wouldn't come back out cold and be a little bit thrown off by it,” he commented. “Thankfully, I was able to keep my momentum going. I thought I came out playing very well and was able to really hold that momentum pretty much throughout the whole match.”

“I think it was just dry. My first nosebleed on court was a couple of weeks ago in Brisbane, so this is my second time. I think it's just a bit dry.”

The world No. 29 did not allow his opponent back into the match, relying on consistent service games and great precision. Tien converted seven breaks in ten opportunities, while saving the only break point he faced during the match. He totaled 33 winners compared to just 15 from Medvedev, while the Russian committed 30 unforced errors against the American’s 16.

“I was trying to keep it one point at a time, not think too far ahead. Towards the third, I started to look back a little bit and almost be a bit surprised at how long I’d been able to keep my momentum going,” Tien added. “I think it's great to only be broken once, playing a returner as good as him. I'm really happy with how I kept the match flowing and how I played from start to finish.”

After his first full year on Tour in 2025, Tien already owns his first ATP 250 title at the Moselle Open, in addition to finishing runner-up at the China Open.

At the end of the season, he was crowned champion of the Next Gen ATP Finals and now prepares for his first quarterfinal appearance at the Australian Open. Given the level of tennis he has displayed, it is difficult to remember that Tien is only 20 years old.

“I still do live at home. I think sometime this year I’ll probably get my own place. My parents are still very much involved in my life, and I'm very grateful to them for it,” revealed the young American. “My family has been such a big part of my life forever, and it's hard to think of a life without them. I'm very fortunate; they still do a lot for me.”

Another topic Tien addressed was his relationship with his coach, former Roland Garros champion Michael Chang — remembered as the youngest player to win a Grand Slam singles title, back at the 1989 Roland Garros, at just 17 years and three months.

The legendary American had a long stint as Kei Nishikori’s coach between 2014 and 2025, but recently found a new adventure as coach of the young star Tien. Chang remains in constant dialogue with his player during matches, opting for a style in which he is seen interacting with his protégé far more than other players do with their coaches on Tour.

For Tien, it is not particularly relevant whether he speaks more or less with Chang during matches. “I personally don't care that much. I always just tell him, if there’s something blatantly obvious that I’m missing, feel free to shout at me. Or if you can't get my attention, do whatever it takes to get me to notice what you're trying to tell me,” he mentioned. “Usually, I’m pretty attentive on things going on in the match, so most of the time I don’t need someone to notify me about something. But sometimes, in the heat of the moment, I just miss things. It’s nice to have someone there to remind me.”

Meanwhile, Tien prepares for his clash against world No. 3 Alexander Zverev in search of a place in the semifinals. Sascha reached the final in 2024 and comes off a straight-sets win over a complicated opponent like Francisco Cerúndolo. Tien already knows what it is like to defeat Zverev, with a hard-court victory in Acapulco one year ago — although Zverev later took revenge in the first round of Roland Garros.

“The first time we played, I doubt he was playing close to his best, but still, I take confidence from that match,” Tien recalled about his 6–3, 6–4 victory. “The second time we played in Paris, it was much more convincing for him. I don't think I broke him during the whole match. Obviously, I was on clay, so it’s a little bit different. But I think we’ve both come a decent way from the last time we played, and he’s probably playing a lot better than he was maybe the first time. I think it’ll be interesting.”