Learner Tien is continuing to impress on the ATP Tour and is now through to the fourth round of Indian Wells after a statement victory over Ben Shelton.
Tien defeated eighth seed Shelton in three sets, 7-6, 4-6, 6-3, earning a second straight win over his compatriot.
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Following his breakthrough year on the tour in 2025, the young American has enjoyed a strong start to 2026, reaching the quarterfinals of the Australian Open as well as the semifinals of the Delray Beach Open.
Aged 20, Tien already has an ATP title to his name, which he clinched on the indoor hard courts of Metz last year.
With his win over Shelton, he now ranks among several tennis legends in an incredible statistic.
Learner Tien’s record against top ten players on the ATP Tour
Perhaps the most impressive aspect of Tien’s career so far has been his performances against the world’s very best players.
Despite never being a top ten player himself, Tien has earned six wins over top ten players since turning professional.
He has beaten the likes of Shelton, Daniil Medvedev, Alexander Zverev and Andrey Rublev.
Tien has a positive record of 6-5 against top ten players, a win rate of 54.55, which ranks 13th in the Open Era, trailing only legends of the game.
Bjorn Borg has the highest win rate against top ten players, with 72.12%, while world number one Carlos Alcaraz has the second highest: 69.62.
Learner Tien’s fourth-round opponent at the Indian Wells Open
After coming through the test with Shelton, Tien will now be faced with Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the fourth round of the Indian Wells Open.
He has played the Spaniard just once before on the ATP Tour, with the sole triumph coming at the Washington Open last year.
There, Davidovich Fokina came out on top in straight sets, 6-2, 6-2, en route to the final, where he ultimately fell to Alex de Minaur.
Davidovich Fokina booked his place in the fourth round of the ATP Masters 1000 event after beating 12th seed Jakub Mensik.
Tien is bidding to surpass his best result at a Masters tournament by reaching the quarterfinals.
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