"Hasn't stopped helping me since he arrived": Learner Tien lauds non-stop mentality of Michael Chang

A finalist in the Next Gen Finals last year, he went on to beat Daniil Medvedev at the Australian Open and lost in the China Open final to Jannik Sinner, Learner Tien was one of the biggest risers of the 2025 season in the ATP Rankings.

He defeated Daniil Medvedev, Ben Shelton, Alexander Zverev, Andrey Rublev, Lorenzo Musetti, and Flavio Cobolli over the course of the year with the help of Michael Chang also with the legendary ex-player joining his camp over the summer in a move that has coincided with his exceptional run of form.

He entered the top 30 for the first time sitting in 28th, he reflected as per the ATP in a feature on his season and the help of Chang in his career so far.

"It's great to have been able to add Michael (Chang) to the team, it's special to have a legend like him by my side. He hasn't stopped helping me since he arrived. I love the vision he has, as well as his experience. I feel like we've had a good relationship from day one, which has allowed us to work really well together."

He also spoke about the influences others have had on his career thus far. "I've not had a lot of coaches, but I've been fortunate enough to have the coaches I've had my whole life. I think everyone's played their role in me, as a person, in my game. I'm very thankful for everyone that's helped me. Obviously, my parents. My dad is my first coach. I talked to him right after the match. A lot of people to thank and a lot of people I'm very grateful for."

He cracked the top 30 for the first time as a result of his run in Metz and he now sits seeded for the Australian Open. Something he didn't know about prior to his title win. "It was a bonus, honestly, for me to be seeded in Australia. It's something that I was really not trying to keep in mind during matches and kind of add extra pressure on myself. So, that's great."

He also is a player that keeps his feet firmly planted on the ground without much of a semblance of great expectation to his work. "I wouldn't say I had a whole lot of expectations of what would happen after I left school. I just wanted to be done with school, honestly. So I just felt like I was ready to go out there and just fully dedicate myself to playing tennis. I had a lot of first experiences this year, but I wouldn't say anything super shocking just because I didn't have a ton of expectations of what was going to happen."