"Surreal experience": Learner Tien reflects on breakthrough Australian Open run

19-year-old American Learner Tien described his "surreal" experience at the Australian Open, where he reached the fourth round after coming through the qualifying rounds—a total of six consecutive wins, including a stunning victory over World No. 5 and three-time finalist Daniil Medvedev.

The American, until recently relatively unknown on the Tour, had been competing mainly in Challenger tournaments. He earned a spot at the Next Gen ATP Finals, where he reached the final but fell to 18-year-old rising star João Fonseca.

From unknown to top-80

This time, Tien entered the Australian Open qualifying draw as the 16th seed, aiming for his first Grand Slam main draw. He survived a tough opening round against Camilo Ugo Carabelli in five sets, then shocked Medvedev with a dramatic 6-3, 7-6(4), 6-7(8), 1-6, 7-6 [10-7] victory. In the third round, he defeated Corentin Moutet in straight sets before falling to Lorenzo Sonego in the Round of 16, 3-6, 2-6, 6-3, 1-6.

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Despite his elimination, Tien can draw plenty of positives from the tournament. Not only did he secure his first-ever win over a top-5 player, but he also showed consistency against some of the best in the world. Starting the tournament ranked World No. 121, Tien will officially break into the top-80 next Monday, just over a month after turning 19.

“To have the run that I did is surreal, and honestly, probably a few weeks that I'll remember for the rest of my career,” the American said. “I think the past couple of weeks have just been great for me to know that at this level I can have success.”

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"I haven't really played too many Tour events and matches in general. So coming here and having the run that I did was obviously great for my confidence, kind of going into my first year where I'm trying to play a full Tour schedule," he added.

Tien will now gain direct entry to many more tournaments, including Masters 1000 events and Grand Slams, likely requiring adjustments to his season schedule in the coming weeks. "I think it's all new. I'm not super used to it. I don't really mind it," he said. "I enjoy the crowds, the big courts. It's all stuff that, I guess, you always dream of having and experiencing when you are young."

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