Learner Tien fell just short of a stunning success at the China Open, having lost his final with Jannik Sinner.
Sinner praised Tien after winning their final in Beijing, having taken 72 minutes to secure the 6-2, 6-2 victory.
Tien was playing in his first-ever ATP final, with his dream China Open run ended only by four-time Grand Slam champion and former world number one Sinner.
The American claimed two huge wins en route to the final, including his semifinal success over Daniil Medvedev.
Tien led the Russian 5-7, 7-5, 4-0 when he retired hurt from their match, during which Medvedev received a code violation for not trying his best.
Learner Tien gives his opinion on Daniil Medvedev’s code violation at the China Open
The American teenager has now shared his verdict on the matter, having also faced distractions against Lorenzo Musetti, who was booed during their quarterfinal clash before he retired hurt.
Tien said: “Yeah, I mean, obviously it’s kind of hard not to be distracted when there’s so much going on in the stadium, on the other side of the court.
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“I try my best just to focus on things I can control because I know Daniil was struggling with cramps yesterday.
“It’s brutal. Sometimes cramps can go away. Sometimes they just stay bad and you can’t really do anything.
“I wasn’t sure maybe he would find kind of a second gear, and he’d make a big push. So I was just trying to stay focused until the match was over.
“Same thing in my quarterfinal match. I wasn’t sure really whether he was going to find that extra gear, really just try to finish out the match with whatever he had left. I was just trying to keep my head down.
“Obviously you never want to beat a player because of anything besides tennis. I mean, nothing much you can really do besides just play.”
How happy Learner Tien is with his current level after China Open final loss to Jannik Sinner
Medvedev is no stranger to fiery umpire run-ins, with the former world number one again left unhappy with the official upon his violation for lack of effort.
He certainly tried to play through the pain, but it ultimately proved too much, as was the case for Musetti against Tien.
But nothing can be taken away from the 19-year-old, who also defeated Medvedev in this year’s Australian Open.
Asked if he could have imagined the season he’s had so far and indeed what is next for him, Tien replied: “I mean, I didn’t look that far ahead at the beginning of the year.
“I didn’t think past my next match. I still try not to really do that. You always believe in yourself that you can achieve these things.
“You try not to be surprised when it happens. But still when it happens, it feels great. It’s very motivating when you kind of hit these new checkpoints.
“I mean, I had some ranking goals and stuff earlier in the year that I’ve already hit. I’m very happy with the progression I’m making. I haven’t really thought too far ahead yet.”
Such progression has involved the American breaking the top 50 in the ATP rankings, while he also boasts a 7-5 record against top 20 players.
Tien also reached his first ATP final in Beijing, with the youngster certain to continue causing real problems for many top players in the months to come.
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