By the time student Tien takes the court in Jeddah for his second straight appearance at the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF, he will no longer be the fresh-faced teenager who wowed the field as last year’s finalist.
Instead, the American arrives as one of the revelations of 2025. Tien’s rise into the World Top 30, deep runs on all surfaces and the first ATP Tour trophy in Metz in the final week of the regular season have shifted expectations from ‘promising prospect’ to ‘future match’. But if one thing remains the same after his meteoric rise, it’s that he refuses to shrink under the spotlight.
“I do a good job of keeping expectations outside of myself,” Tien told ATPtour.com in Paris in October. “I try not to put too much pressure on myself, I just try to come in and enjoy because I’m playing all these tournaments for the first time. I’m just enjoying my experience and that takes a lot of weight off my shoulders: I can go there freely and that helps me a lot.”
“I like to keep my routines pretty similar, but usually it’s a little difficult to play from place to place. I do my best to keep most things the same if I can.”
That freedom translates into fearlessness on the court – especially against the sport’s heavyweights – and was on full display at the Australian Open in January. As a qualifier at world number 121, Tien stunned fifth seed and three-time finalist Daniil Medvedev after four hours and 49 minutes of grueling action in the second round.
However, it did not stop at Melbourne, where he reached the fourth round. Time and time again, he walked into big stadiums swinging with nothing to lose, compiling a 5-3 record against Top 10 players during the 2025 season, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index.
“I really enjoy those matches, I see them as great opportunities. I don’t think much is expected of me to win, especially if I come out at the beginning of the year,” said Tien, who also defeated Alexander Zverev, Ben Shelton, Andrey Rublev and Lorenzo Musetti. “I just go out, play freely and play well, and I’ve been fortunate enough to experience a lot of them.”
Tien is part of a generational wave powered by the same young talents who shared the stage with him in Jeddah last year. Joao Fonseca – who defeated Tien in the title match – and Miami champion Jakub Mensik have joined him to make the 2025 season a statement year for their age group.
Together they are leading the next wave of men’s tennis, aiming to follow the path set by the former Next Gen ATP Finals, presented by PIF champions Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, now ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in the world.
“I think a lot of the younger guys are doing well,” Tien said. “Sometimes it’s hard and people come out a little better than others the first year because they don’t really know how much of the new stuff can go. But the young guys are good at pushing each other. Everyone wants to catch the ‘top guy’. It’s been great all those young guys pushing each other this year.”
Former world number 2 Michael Chang, who joined Tien’s team in July, has played a key role in accelerating the 19-year-old’s rapid growth. Chang’s impact was immediate, providing the 19-year-old with the roadmap of someone who has experienced the pressure he is only just beginning to experience.
“He brings a lot of experience and a lot of tennis knowledge,” Tien said of Chang, the 34-time tour-level champion. “I don’t have a lot of experience myself because it’s my first time, so having someone on my team who really knows how things go, and having so many years, really helps me a lot.”
Tien returns to Jeddah this year with unfinished business and brings the confidence of breaking into the Top 30, the fearless mentality that helped him topple multiple Top 10 stars, and the poise of a young star learning to thrive under pressure.
The Next Gen ATP Finals 2025, presented by PIF, will be held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, from December 17 to 21.
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