MELBOURNE, Australia — Tennis players Learner Tien, 19, and Alex Michelsen, 20, have shared a friendship and competitive spirit that dates back about a decade, crossing paths at youth tournaments in Southern California. This year marks a significant milestone for both as they prepare to compete in the fourth round of the Australian Open, an achievement they have both dreamed of for years.
With this being their first foray into the later stages of a Grand Slam event, Tien expressed his excitement about reaching this level while having Michelsen by his side. “It’s really cool we were able to do it at the same spot. Our lockers are right next to each other, so before and after our matches, we run into each other. It’s nice to see a familiar face somewhere so far from home,” Tien said, reflecting on how surreal it is to be in this position.
Remarkably, Tien comes into this stage after qualifying last week, and he is now recognized as the youngest male player to reach the second week of the Australian Open since Rafael Nadal achieved the same feat at 18 in 2005.
Michelsen has long recognized Tien’s potential, recalling how their friend group marveled at Tien’s early achievements. “He was always way better,” Michelsen shared, highlighting Tien’s early success in tournaments meant for older age groups. Their friendship deepened as they began training together in 2021, cultivating their bond on and off the court.
In the previous round, Tien secured his spot by triumphing over Corentin Moutet of France with a scoreline of 7-6 (10), 6-3, 6-3, a match that lasted just under three hours—significantly shorter than another marathon match he played against the fifth seed, Daniil Medvedev, which ended at nearly 3 a.m. “He is playing unbelievable,” Michelsen praised his friend’s skills but humorously claimed the modest credit of “maybe 1%” for his own role in helping Tien improve through their daily practice sessions.
Marcos Giron, another player from California who trains alongside Tien and Michelsen, expressed his admiration for their accomplishments at such young ages. “It’s amazing and impressive they’re doing this well,” Giron remarked on their court skills. He singled out their all-around gameplay, commendable ball control, and awareness as standout qualities.
In addition to Tien and Michelsen, two other American men—Tommy Paul, 27, and Ben Shelton, 22—have also reached the fourth round, making history as the first back-to-back Slam tournaments in the last two decades to feature four American men in the last 16. This is complemented by the presence of three American women in the same stage in Melbourne. “We have a lot more coming,” Shelton noted, excited about the burgeoning talent among U.S. players.
On Sunday, Paul became the first male competitor to secure a quarterfinal spot in this year’s tournament after decisively defeating Alejandro Davidovich Fokina from Spain with a score of 6-1, 6-1, 6-1. In the upcoming matches scheduled for Monday, Michelsen will face No. 8 seed Alexander de Minaur from Australia, Tien will take on Italy’s Lorenzo Sonego, and Shelton will compete against Gael Monfils of France.
“I’m not surprised. It’s been something we’ve been talking about for a while,” commented Tien’s coach, Eric Diaz, on their success. “We always anticipated that Learner would do this, too.”
