US OPEN

September 3, 2026

Learner Tien

Press Conference

L. TIEN/G. Monfils

6-3, 6-4, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Learner, welcome. Interesting dynamic out on the court for you tonight, considering the opponent, but a straight-set win. Your thoughts on your level of play.

LEARNER TIEN: Yeah, never an easy match. I think when you're playing someone that's kind of on their retirement year, I think especially against him, it's a very special matchup for me.

I think playing him in Montreal helped with just the nerves and seeing him on the other side of the court, but still, in the third set, I felt a little bit of pressure just to close out the match, but happy to get through and grateful to share the court with him again.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. You've played in a lot of different arenas and stadiums now the last couple of years, it was an exciting atmosphere, but it's also really loud and a lot of movement. I was noticing when I was in there how people are moving around and talking. I'm wondering how much you can hear of that on the court? Is it harder to discern the sound of the ball? What do you think of the general etiquette here?

LEARNER TIEN: I didn't look up that much, if I'm being honest. Obviously it was loud, but I was expecting a lot of energy and a very loud crowd.

I'm glad the atmosphere was like that. I think it makes the matches a lot more enjoyable. As long as no one is shouting in the middle of the points and stuff, I think it's great.

I mean, I expected a very rowdy court, rowdy match. You know, I didn't expect the crowd to be for me necessarily (smiling), but I'm glad they really, you know, came out in full force tonight. It was cool to play in that atmosphere.

Q. Are you aware of the constant din? Wimbledon, it gets quiet, right?

LEARNER TIEN: I honestly didn't notice. I wasn't really paying attention. Maybe I just came to the match with the expectation it was going to be really loud, so I didn't think anything of it. I honestly didn't notice it during the match.

Q. Many players like Monfils are retiring this year. Among them, Kei Nishikori. Your coach is Michael Chang. You lost to Kei in Switzerland. What is your opinion about his tennis or impression of him?

LEARNER TIEN: On Kei?

Q. Yeah.

LEARNER TIEN: Yeah, I mean, I think growing up, I watched him play. It was cool to get a chance to play against him last year. I'm pretty upset that I lost and I'll never get to play him again probably.

But just happy I got to play him last year. I mean, watching him, when I was growing up, watching him make the US Open final, there were not that many Asian players on tour, so obviously seeing an Asian player having a lot of success when you're growing up is very cool. Getting a chance to play against him is very special.

I think maybe Tokyo is his last tournament, and I'm not playing Tokyo, and so I think, you know, that's it. I won't have another chance to play him, but I'm glad we got to play last year.

Q. How do you feel about your hard court season coming in here? Also getting past the first round here finally must feel pretty good. What's your assessment of D.C., Montreal, Cincy?

LEARNER TIEN: D.C. was tough. I felt like I was playing very poor in D.C. When I arrived in Montreal, I was feeling like I was playing just a very poor level of tennis.

It was a great building week for me that week. I wouldn't say I was playing exceptional tennis, but I was finding a way to win. I was kind of also nursing a little bit of an arm issue. To get through that week and get some matches under my belt, I think it's been great.

By Cincy, I thought I was playing well, playing a lot better than I was in the weeks prior. I lost in the second round, I guess, third round, including the bye, but now I feel like I'm playing well. I'm happy with kind of how I've been improving.

You know, obviously not every week is going to be amazing, but I'm happy with kind of how I've built on even the weeks I've lost early.

Q. What do you remember of your first year playing here when you were 16? I think you played Kecmanovic. What was that experience, and how does the mindset compare to where you are today?

LEARNER TIEN: Yeah, my first ATP event being the US Open I think was a little overwhelming. I got sick, like, a day before my first round too. It didn't really hit me for that first round. It hit me when I was playing juniors. A lot going on that week, a lot to kind of handle at that age, especially.

I remember getting the wildcard and knowing I made $80,000, and I felt like, you know, that could last me a lifetime. I felt like I was so rich (smiling), like I just provided enough for my grandchildren (smiling).

This is my fifth year now, so it's been a while. Looking back, it was very overwhelming for me. Not knowing where anything was, because I didn't play juniors before that year, either, so everything was new, everything was crazy.

Looking back, I look back on it pretty fondly, but it feels very long ago.

Q. How stressful was it being sick before playing US Open as a 16-year-old?

LEARNER TIEN: I kind of felt it the day right before I played my first round, so, like, the day I played my first round, my throat was hurting, and I didn't really have anything else. By the time I played juniors, my head was hurting, my stamina was a lot worse. Physically, I was just, you know, didn't feel very good.

So I didn't think that much of it. I think I was just so, I don't know, riled up for the match, nervous, I didn't really think how I was feeling physically.