Learner Tien is one of the best young players on the ATP Tour right now.
Tien enjoyed a breakout season last year, climbing nearly 100 places in the rankings after winning his first ATP title and winning the Next Gen ATP Finals.
The American has continued this into 2026, with Tien reaching the Australian Open quarterfinals after beating Daniil Medvedev once again.
Despite his huge rise up the ranks over the past year, there have been suggestions that Tien is going under the radar compared to the likes of Joao Fonseca, and now he has responded when asked if he thinks this is the case.
Learner Tien responds when asked if he feels underrated
Tien and Fonseca have many parallels in their respective careers, having met in the final of the US Open juniors tournament in 2023 and the Next Gen ATP Finals in 2024.
Fonseca is predicted to win Grand Slams in the future, but it is actually Tien who is the higher ranked player of the two right now.
This has led to tennis fans and Alex de Minaur calling Tien underrated, and he has now responded to these claims himself.
When speaking to Hard Court in Delray Beach, Tien admitted that he is actually not too bothered about this debate.
Tien said, “I always just think that if you do what you’re supposed to do then eventually the recognition will come, but when it does come I don’t pay too much attention to that either.”
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Learner Tien says what he is expecting from doubles partnership with Daniil Medvedev
Tien lost to Marin Cilic in the first round of the Dallas Open last week, but he is hoping to bounce back at the ATP 250 tournament in Delray Beach.
Whatever happens in Delray Beach, Tien knows that his next tournament after that is at Indian Wells.
This is where Tien will be playing in both singles and doubles with Medvedev, who he has beaten three times since the start of 2025, in a surprise partnership.
When asked about this collaboration, Tien admitted that he thinks it will be ‘weird’ to be on the same side of the court as Medvedev, but is expecting it to be fun.
“Obviously we’ve had some real battles against each other, so it’ll be a little weird seeing him on the same side of the court, but I think it’ll be a lot of fun,” added Tien.
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Tien and Medvedev are not the only random partnership at Indian Wells this year, with Jannik Sinner also having a surprise partner for a rare doubles appearance next month.
While this is something to look forward to for Tien, he will currently have his sights set on his first match in Delray Beach against Miomir Kecmanovic.
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