CHINA OPEN

October 1, 2025

Learner Tien

Press Conference

J. SINNER/L. Tien

6-2, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: This must be an incredible week for you, what you have achieved here in this tournament. Very impressive. Can you tell us a little bit about what you have gained from the China Open, your whole experience here.

LEARNER TIEN: Yeah, it's been a great week. Obviously would have loved to go all the way. Regardless, I'm super happy with the week. It's my first semifinal, my first final, so I'm very happy with the progress I'm making.

It's my first time playing here in Beijing and my second week in China. It's been great. The support I felt every match has been great. I've really been enjoying it.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. This is your first time in the China Open, in Beijing. Your name is Learner. What have you learned from this week or your coach Michael Chang, the legend?

LEARNER TIEN: I think I'm learning a lot week to week just playing more matches each week. This is my first year on tour, so I think every week I'm gaining a lot of experience, playing a lot of new players, playing different environments, just a lot of different matchups.

It's all great all these experiences I'm getting.

The new coach, I'm just trying to take it all in as best as I can. I think weeks like this are great for my development. I think it's setting me up really well for the rest of the year and next season.

Q. You did have two interesting last matches. Yesterday obviously with the code violation, then the day before there were some people booing on the other end. How did you get past the distractions?

LEARNER TIEN: Yeah, I mean, obviously it's kind of hard not to be distracted when there's so much going on in the stadium, on the other side of the court.

I try my best just to focus on things I can control because I know Daniil was struggling with cramps yesterday. It's brutal. Sometimes cramps can go away. Sometimes they just stay bad and you can't really do anything. I wasn't sure maybe he would find kind of a second gear, and he'd make a big push. So I was just trying to stay focused until the match was over.

Same thing in my quarterfinal match. I wasn't sure really whether he was going to find that extra gear, really just try to finish out the match with whatever he had left. I was just trying to keep my head down.

Obviously you never want to beat a player because of anything besides tennis. I mean, nothing much you can really do besides just play.

Q. You've obviously played a lot of top players this year, given a lot of 'em a lot of trouble. Facing Jannik, what is the unique challenge that he presents? In the games you were making gain in, what did you feel there was in your game, if you do this more repetitively, what could get into his game?

LEARNER TIEN: Yeah, I mean, it's a tough, tough match (smiling). I feel like the couple service games - my return games, his service games - that I was kind of in, he was able to kind of serve his way out of. I thought he served well today. Just getting a lot of free points on his serve. I couldn't really get a great read on his serve.

Return games are just pretty tough for me in general today. I think that put a lot more pressure on my service games, because I wasn't really making a lot of leeway on his service games. There was just that added pressure of being unsure if I was going to really be able to make a push in his service games. I really had to take care of my own.

I just think the pressure he puts on you point to point is really tough.

Q. It was your debut in Beijing. What did you make of your experience at China Open, the hospitality, the facilities, the city itself? What was your experience like?

LEARNER TIEN: It's been great. I haven't seen too much of the city. I haven't, like, really eaten out just because of the scheduling. I was fortunate to be winning, so my days were pretty long, pretty busy.

So far the two weeks I've been in China, the food has been great. I've really enjoyed that. The hospitality has been amazing. Just the experience so far has been great. Everything's pretty exciting because it's my first time here. I've really enjoyed it.

Q. You have a reasonable guy as your coach. What does Michael bring to you?

LEARNER TIEN: I've never worked with a coach that has played professionally before, not at least at that level. I think the experience he has playing and coaching brings a lot because I'm kind of someone starting off and I don't have that much experience. To have a coach that kind of has been through what I'm going through currently, kind of knows the day to day, what I could be thinking, how I could be feeling, it's great.

I think you don't have to be a good player to be a good coach. I think just the experience he has from playing and coaching previously has just really helped me a lot.

It's a new perspective that's really kind of opened my eyes. A fresh face, fresh voice has just been great.

Q. Could you have imagined the year that you've had, the way it started in Melbourne, the win over Daniil, beating him again here, consistent results? Could you have pictured that? What is the next step for you?

LEARNER TIEN: I mean, I didn't look that far ahead at the beginning of the year. I didn't think past my next match. I still try not to really do that.

You always believe in yourself that you can achieve these things. You try not to be surprised when it happens. But still when it happens, it feels great. It's very motivating when you kind of hit these new checkpoints.

I mean, I had some ranking goals and stuff earlier in the year that I've already hit. I'm very happy with the progression I'm making. I haven't really thought too far ahead yet.