LAVER CUP

September 26, 2026

Learner Tien

Andre Agassi

O2 Arena

Team World

Press Conference

L. TIEN/F. Cobolli

6-3, 2-6, 10-7

Team Europe - 3

Team World - 3

THE MODERATOR: What a great start today to Team World's campaign.

Learner, should we just start with you? Do you want to talk us through the match?

LEARNER TIEN: Yeah, I mean, I thought I started off well. I don't think he started off that great. I thought I got off to a good start, and he definitely changed things up a bit in the second, started taking a little more pace off the ball, started not giving me as much to work with, and I was struggling a bit with that.

But I just thought I recovered well for the third set, and, you know, just kind of a dog fight in the third, but I'm happy to get through it.

THE MODERATOR: Andre, do you want to just tell us how today went?

CAPTAIN ANDRE AGASSI: Ah, perfect (smiling). It went perfect. Yeah, no, listen, Learner set the tone early. You know, there's one thing the team has been very relaxed about is knowing exactly what he brings to the table when he steps on the tennis court, and he's proven it again, and at such a young age, it's remarkable, actually. It's actually really remarkable.

Yeah, in the first set, definitely Cobolli got off to a slower start. He was trying to do damage to Learner, and Learner was absorbing and controlling most of the action.

Second set, balls got heavier and chewed up and harder to penetrate, so he backed off that and started rolling it up. Learner learned today (smiling), because he went from trying to take unnecessary risk on that to just digging in when it mattered most and counting on the intangible in tennis, which is, you know, which is your persistence and your ability to stay present, to stay focused, you know, and use your mind. It's kind of weird how you just so intuitively believe in somebody when they get in those moments.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. What did you learn from watching Laver Cup tennis on Day 1 that you were able to use on Day 2?

LEARNER TIEN: Yeah, I think the biggest thing is just knowing that no scoreline is really safe. I think every scoreline -- I mean, maybe if you're down a set and 5-0 or something, it's over. Most of the scorelines that you're going to be playing through, you're still in the match no matter what the score is.

Matches can just turn very fast, and, you know, I maybe had a chance early in the second to kind of get the jump on him and I didn't really take advantage of it. Suddenly I kind of got killed in the second and we're in a 10-pointer. So I think just knowing that was really big for today.

Q. Congrats on the win. Talking to your dad earlier this year, he said he and your mom introduced you to the sport, but it was really your own inner drive that drove you to take it further. I wonder if you would just talk about that.

LEARNER TIEN: Yeah, I mean, yeah, my parents started me playing tennis. They never really forced it on me. It wasn't like I had to play tennis or I wasn't going to eat dinner or anything (smiling).

But, yeah, eventually I think every kid has to make the choice whether they want to do it or not, and that day came for me probably in my mid-teens, and I just decided tennis is what I want to do.

Q. So of course you're incredibly young. I want to know what is the biggest lesson you have learned from your fellow teammates while playing for the Laver Cup?

LEARNER TIEN: Like Laver Cup-specific or just in general?

Q. Laver Cup-specific.

LEARNER TIEN: I don't know. I mean, I've definitely soaked in a lot just from the older guys. I feel like they've just kind of been telling me, you know, matches can really go either way. Especially with the format, you know, matches can swing very fast. Anyone can really win from any scoreline.

You know, it's very important to peak later in the event. I think Days 2 and 3 are the most important score-wise. And from any scoreline, whether it's the overall score of the teams or match scores, I think just anything can happen, really.

Q. In the tiebreaker, how much do you find yourself using what you have learned over the past two sets, or does it feel like a completely clean slate?

LEARNER TIEN: No, I mean, once I got into the breaker, I just kind of thought just to make him earn it. You know, I'm sure both of us were pretty nervous. I'm sure that both of us going out there and wanting to win for our teams, I'm sure it was going to be a stressful set.

I just went out there kind of just knowing what to expect a little bit more from the court, from the balls, and just having that more in mind with every point meaning so much.

Q. Andre, it's been a couple of awesome matches for you guys. You had Learner with a third-set breaker and Alex with a third-set breaker. What are you enjoying most about sitting in the hot seat and helping these younger guys on tour now?

CAPTAIN ANDRE AGASSI: What I enjoy most, it's an interesting question. I mean, first of all, I enjoy just being around them. Off the court, even. All these guys are great athletes, both teams. They all have different wiring. They all have different ways that make them special and different challenges that they have to overcome, and sort of learning them is probably the biggest joy.

But when I'm out there on the court, understanding where you can actually maybe fill in some gaps that could exist and whether it be a psyche or whether it be a strategic thing, you know, but listen, it gets exciting out there.

You know, I always used to call that stress, not fun, you know what I mean? Now it feels like a little bit more fun than stress, because I know that these guys, you know, are going to take a lot from it, and I have the luxury of hindsight. So I think I enjoy the idea of being in a hopefully contributive, an environment where I get to enjoy the game more than stress it. I've spent a lot of years not enjoying it as much as I should have.