American teenager Learner Tien produced one of the biggest upsets of the Australian Open, crushing three-time finalist Daniil Medvedev in straight sets to reach his first Grand Slam quarter-final and set up a last-eight clash with Alexander Zverev
Learner Tien serves during his win over Daniil Medvedev in the last 16 at the Australian Open on Sunday. Pic/Getty Images
Learner Tien said he was playing some of his best tennis ever after battling through a nosebleed to crush three-time finalist Daniil Medvedev and make a Grand Slam quarter-final for the first time on Sunday.
The 20-year-old American, who capped a breakout 2025 by winning the ATP Next Gen title, thrashed the Russian — a Grand Slam winner at the 2021 US Open — 6-4, 6-0, 6-3 at the Australian Open. It put the 29th-ranked Tien into a last-eight clash with Germany’s World No. 3 Alexander Zverev.
“I feel like each match I’m making a little jump in how well I’m playing, how comfortable I feel. Right now I’m feeling better than I have all year. The crowd support has been amazing. Honestly, a crowd like this with this much energy and support, it means the world to me,” said Tien, who has now become the youngest men’s singles quarter-finalist at Melbourne Park since Nick Kyrgios in 2015, and the youngest American man to reach the last eight at a Slam since Andy Roddick in 2002 at the US Open.
Daniil Medvedev
‘Tien was too good for me’
Defeat was a sorry end for the former World No. 1 Medvedev. The 11th-seeded Russian, who reached three of the last five finals in Melbourne, was a shadow of his former self. “He played too good for me today. Could I do better? I mean, you can always do better if you lose with the scoreline I did. I didn’t manage to rival his level, and that’s why basically I lost,” admitted a candid Medvedev.
Djokovic, Alcaraz advance
Meanwhile, Serbian 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic advanced to the quarter-finals without hitting a ball as his opponent Czechia’s Jakub Mensik withdrew before the match with an injury. In another men’s singles Round-of-16 clash, Spanish World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz was in ominous touch as he dispatched American Tommy Paul 7-6 (8-6), 6-4, 7-5.
01
No. of times USA’s World No. 29 Learner Tien has reached the quarter-finals of a Grand Slam
11
No. of years since a player younger than Learner Tien reached the men’s singles last eight in Melbourne
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