How Michael Chang Is Molding Learner Tien Into A Contender At Indian Wells

INDIAN WELLS — Learner Tien’s first travel to nan BNP Paribas Open a twelvemonth agone hardly registered — a funny result for what was fundamentally his hometown tourney debut.

Feeling unwell and still adjusting to nan play grind of nan ATP Tour, nan Irvine autochthonal exited successful nan first information and quickly scratched it from his mind.

“Honestly, I don’t really retrieve my tourney present past twelvemonth that well,” says Tien arsenic he shuttled betwixt pre-tournament media obligations this week. “I was successful and retired beautiful quick.”

But 12 months is simply a batch of runway for a young subordinate whose all-court ingenuity, appetite for betterment and expertise to shed setbacks person generated lift.

“So acold this year, everything has felt good,” Tien says. “And I’m emotion beautiful comfortable.”

Much has changed successful nan interim for nan 20-year-old.

Learner Tien returns a changeable against Tommy Paul during their semifinal lucifer astatine nan Delray Beach Tennis Center connected Feb. 21.

(Megan Briggs / Getty Images)

A standout inferior who earned a 2022 U.S. Open main tie chaotic paper by winning nan USTA boys 18s Nationals astatine 16, Tien turned pro successful 2023.

The cerebral left-hander started 2025 extracurricular nan apical 100, 1 much talented teen pushing done nan crowded gateway of nan men’s tour.

Tien’s steeper trajectory began pinch a coaching displacement midway done past season, erstwhile he began moving pinch Michael Chang, nan 1989 French Open champion who antecedently guided Japan’s Kei Nishikori.

The business formed only aft Wimbledon, arranged done Tien’s agent, contempt nan 2 having lived successful nan aforesaid Southern California tennis orbit for years without ever meeting.

The effect was immediate.

During nan last agelong of 2025, Tien reached Beijing’s China Open final, captured his maiden circuit title astatine Metz, France, and closed nan play by winning nan Next Gen ATP Finals (for apical players 20-and-younger) — results that marked him arsenic 1 of nan tour’s fastest-rising young stars.

Tien carried that assurance into January, and nan advancement showed successful Melbourne. His opening lucifer astatine nan Australian Open astir ended quickly against compatriot Marcos Giron, who Tien trailed by a break successful nan 4th group earlier turning nan lucifer astir to triumph successful 5 sets.

He past outclassed erstwhile No. 1 Daniil Medvedev 6-4, 6-0, 6-3, a subordinate he had upset successful 5 sets arsenic a qualifier successful Melbourne a twelvemonth earlier, to scope his first Grand Slam quarterfinal.

“I felt for illustration I didn’t person a spot connected nan tribunal wherever I could conscionable deed nan shot and consciousness for illustration I was retired of danger,” said No. 3 seed Alexander Zverev aft his four-set triumph complete Tien successful nan past eight.

This week, Tien enters nan ATP Masters 1000 arena — often dubbed nan “fifth Grand Slam” for its prestige and extent of section — arsenic nan youngest subordinate successful nan apical 30.

Tien, nan No. 25 seed, opens successful nan 2nd information astatine 11 a.m. Friday against 91st-ranked Adam Walton of Australia aft a first-round bye.

Tien’s post-Australia results person been dependable alternatively than spectacular. He divided 4 matches crossed 2 tournaments heading into Indian Wells, a agelong he views simply arsenic portion of nan hit of a agelong season.

Learner Tien celebrates aft defeating Daniil Medvedev during their fourth-round lucifer astatine nan Australian Open connected Jan. 25.

(Asanka Brendon Ratnayake / Associated Press)

“I don’t deliberation that I was playing poorly,” he says. “It’s not for illustration I’ve really felt for illustration I’ve been struggling aliases anything.”

Indian Wells brings a different dynamic, however. The tourney sits only a mates of hours from nan organization wherever Tien grew up, nan second-generation boy of Vietnamese immigrants. The Coachella Valley arena remains nan lone ATP extremity successful nan Golden State.

“It’s erstwhile a twelvemonth that I get to play an arena successful California, truthful I deliberation it’s really cool and it’s decidedly a small other motivation,” he says.

The mounting itself tin situation players. Indian Wells’ gritty courts, barren aerial and day winds often reward patience and precise timing. For Tien, nan accommodation has been comparatively smooth.

Chang has pushed Tien toward a longer position of his development.

“He’s really put maine successful an improvement-oriented mindset,” says Tien. “I really judge successful myself,” he adds. “I deliberation having him pinch maine is besides a large portion of that.”

Michael Chang, coach of Learner Tien, watches Tien conclusion Daniil Medvedev during nan Australian Open connected Jan. 25.

(Asanka Brendon Ratnayake / Associated Press)

The displacement has reinforced nan quiet assurance that coaches and observers person agelong noticed successful Tien.

Paul Annacone, nan erstwhile coach of Pete Sampras and Roger Federer who now useful arsenic an expert for Tennis Channel, sees shades of erstwhile world No. 1 Marcelo Ríos successful Tien’s baseline trade — though Tien’s composed demeanor is simply a world distant from nan Chilean’s volatility.

Annacone, who has known Tien since he was 14, says nan player’s anticipation and consciousness let him to redirect gait and conception points successful different ways. The adjacent shape of development, he believes, centers connected refining nan 5-foot-11 Tien’s service and learning really to maximize work games without overwhelming power.

When that portion settles, Annacone believes nan ceiling could beryllium highly high.

“Once he understands his serving identity, I’ll beryllium amazed if Learner’s not a top-10 subordinate successful 2 years,” he said.

Annacone is not unsocial successful seeing large possibilities.

Novak Djokovic shakes hands pinch Learner Tien aft winning their first-round lucifer astatine nan U.S. Open connected Aug. 24 successful New York.

(Frank Franklin II / Associated Press)

Novak Djokovic, who hit Tien successful a first-round nighttime lucifer astatine past year’s U.S. Open, called him “very talented” and grouped him pinch different rising standouts specified arsenic Brazil’s Joao Fonseca and Czechia’s Jakub Mensik.

Djokovic said Tien appears to beryllium building a beardown squad astir him and that Michael Chang’s acquisition pinch early occurrence should help. Chang, who grew up successful Orange County, remains nan youngest men’s awesome champion successful nan Open era, winning nan French Open astatine 17.

“He has each of nan preconditions aliases precursors of becoming a really bully tennis player,” nan 24-time awesome victor from Serbia said.

For now, Tien is focused connected a much contiguous challenge: balancing circuit life pinch ambitions that agelong good beyond a azygous week, moreover erstwhile it’s adjacent to home.

“I never, ever want to lose,” he says. “But connected nan different hand, I’m besides striving for bigger things and reaching a spot higher than that. So it’s benignant of balancing nan two, trying to enactment grounded and attraction connected what’s astatine hand.”

And astatine Indian Wells, a tourney adjacent wherever he grew up yet still comparatively caller to him, Tien hopes this twelvemonth leaves a longer imprint than nan last.