MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – JANUARY 16: Learner Tien of the United States celebrates a point in the Men’s … [+] Singles Second Round match against Daniil Medvedev during day five of the 2025 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 16, 2025 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Andy Cheung/Getty Images)
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Learner Tien pulled off the biggest victory of his life to headline a parade of 11 Americans moving into the third round of the Australian Open.
Tien, a 19-year-old native of Irvine, Calif. who played at USC, upset No. 5 seed Daniil Medvedev, 6-3, 7-6(4), 6-7(10), 1-6, 7-6(7) to advance to the third round of a major for the first time in his career. The match lasted 4 hours, 48 minutes and ended at 2:54 a.m. local time, the sixth-latest major finish in tennis history.
The left-handed qualifier is the youngest American man to reach the third round at a Slam since Donald Young did it as an 18-year-old at the U.S. Open in 2007.
Told that his match included the first fifth-set breaker of the tournament, he said, “I mean, I was definitely hoping that it wasn’t going to go to a fifth-set breaker, but either way, just really happy to get a win. I know that I made it a lot harder than it could’ve been, but whatever.”
Tien, whose parents immigrated from Vietnam and introduced him to tennis in Irvine, Calif., followed 19-year-old Jakub Menšík of the Czech Republic into the third round. Another teenager, 18-year-old Joao Fonseca of Brazil, stunned No. 9 Andrey Rublev in the first round before losing in five sets in the second to Lorenzo Sonego.
There are six American men and five American women in the third round. Tommy Paul, Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula all play Thursday. No. 17 Frances Tiafoe, a two-time U.S. Open semifinalist, was upset by Hungary’s Fábián Marozsán in five sets in the second round.
“It’s been a really impressive Aussie Open for the Americans on both the women’s and the men’s side,” ESPN’s Chris Eubanks said on air. “I’m excited to see how the red, white and blue continues to fair down under.”
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – JANUARY 16: Learner Tien of the United States celebrates a point in the Men’s … [+] Singles Second Round match against Daniil Medvedev during day five of the 2025 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 16, 2025 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Andy Cheung/Getty Images)
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Playing in just his fourth Grand Slam main draw, Tien had a match point on the former U.S. Open champion Medvedev in the third set, but couldn’t convert and ended up going to a fifth-set match tiebreak.
Down 4-6 in the breaker, Tien broke out a feathery drop shot winner to cut it to 5-6. Medvedev then sailed a forehand long to make it 6-all.
Tien then hit a running forehand passing shot to tie it at 7-all, and then slapped in inside-out forehand winner for 8-7. On the ensuing point, Medvedev ended a rally by stroking a two-handed backhand wide, bringing Tien to match point.
Tien then hit a service winner to take the match before raising his hands and meeting Medvedev at the net.
Tien said afterward that he had to go to the bathroom badly during the fourth set and that’s why it went by so quickly.
“Honestly, I was trying to finish it up fairly quick but I also wanted to start the fifth serving,” he said. “I scrapped out that game at 0-5 and it all worked out.”
Next up Tien will face Corentin Moutet of France in the third round.
“I think it will be a fun match,” Tien said.
Elsewhere among the men, No. 4 Taylor Fritz rolled past qualifier Cristian Garin 6-2, 6-1, 6-0 and Ben Shelton took out Pablo Carreno Busta 6-3, 6-3, 6-7 (4), 6-4.
Fritz, the U.S. Open runner-up last year, has given up only eight games in his two matches so far and will next face 38-year-old Frenchman Gael Monfils, who earned his spot in the third round with a 7-5, 6-3, 7-6 (3) win over German Daniel Altmaier.
While Andre Agassi was the last American man to win the Melbourne Park title back in 2003, Australia’s wait for a homegrown men’s champion goes back to 1976.
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – JANUARY 16: Taylor Fritz of the United States plays a forehand against … [+] Cristian Garin of Chile in the Men’s Singles Second Round match during day five of the 2025 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 16, 2025 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Daniel Pockett/Getty Images)
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On the women’s side, American No. 19 Madison Keys will face fellow American No. 10 Danielle Collins in a popcorn third-round match on Friday.
Keys advanced over Romania’s Elena-Gabriela Ruse in three tough sets, while Collins made headlines for getting into it with the Australian crowd during her win over local favorite Destanee Aiav. She blew kisses at the booing fans and thanked them for paying for her next five-star vacation.
“I think they really wanted for her to win badly,” Collins told reporters after her 7-6 (4), 4-6, 6-2 win. “I think there were a lot of people that were super drunk and had a hard time controlling themselves and were really excited.
“All I have to say is good luck trying to get under the skin of somebody that really doesn’t care,” she added.
Collins said she actually enjoyed the hectic atmosphere.
“I loved it,” she said. “I’ve been doing this my whole life. I love playing in a crowd that has energy, regardless of what side they’re on.”
No. 8 American Emma Navarro advanced in three sets over China’s Wang Xiyu and will next face thre-time former Grand Slam finalist Ons Jabeur.
“I think that’s the one that really stands out to me,” Eubanks said.
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – JANUARY 16: Emma Navarro of the United States celebrates the victory in the … [+] Women’s Singles Second Round match against Xiyu Wang of China during day five of the 2025 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 16, 2025 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Shi Tang/Getty Images)
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Here’s a list of the remaining American men and women in the draw:
MEN
No. 4 Taylor Fritz
No. 12 Tommy Paul
No. 21 Ben Shelton
Alex Michelsen
Marcos Giron
WOMEN
No. 3 Coco Gauff
No. 7 Pegula
No. 8 Emma Navarro
No. 10 Danielle Collins
No. 19 Madison Keys
