Only weeks after becoming the youngest American ATP Tour titlist in more than two decades, Learner Tien captured the Next Gen ATP Finals.

In our ‘Fast Learner’ issue: 
🎙️ Exclusive Q&A with Learner Tien
🎁 Naughty or nice? Fellow players decide!
💪 Stan gears up for ‘one last push’ 

‘I’M ABLE TO GO OUT THERE AND PLAY FREELY’

Daniil Medvedev was flummoxed.

The former No. 1 kept running headlong into this Southern California kid Learner Tien, a teen upstart not six feet tall and, at most, a buck sixty on the scale. In 2025 alone, Medvedev would face Tien in Melbourne, Beijing and Shanghai.

“He’s an impressive tennis player,” marveled Medvedev, who finally managed to squeak out a 7-6(6), 6-7(1), 6-4 win in their third encounter. “Beyond the greats like the Big Three, Sinner and Alcaraz, he’s perhaps the toughest opponent I’ve ever faced. I think he could be World No. 1 in the future.”

That’s high praise from a guy who’s won more than 400 tour-level matches and climbed to the top of the PIF ATP Rankings. But Tien, a two-time USTA Boys’ 18s National Hard Courts champion who played a semester of college tennis at USC, would leave a lasting impression upon many across the calendar year. 

In January, Tien played his way through qualifying and into the Round of 16 at the Australian Open, the youngest American man to do so since Pete Sampras in 1990. Top 10 upsets of Alexander Zverev, Ben Shelton and Andrey Rublev would follow. In August, not long after adding Hall of Famer Michael Chang to his team, he found himself matched up against all-time Slam king Novak Djokovic in the opening round at the US Open — invaluable big-stage experience. He reached his first ATP 500 final in September in Beijing.

By November, he’d have his first ATP title (Metz) and a career-high ranking inside the Top 30, behind only Taylor Fritz, Shelton and Tommy Paul on the U.S. charts. And what better way to cap the year than to take the title in his second straight appearance in the trophy match at the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF? 

“I was able to check a lot of boxes that I wanted to this year,” reflected Tien, who celebrated his 20th birthday earlier this month. “I had a pretty long list of goals I wanted to hit, and I was able to get most of them. I’m really happy.”

A future No. 1, as Mr. Medvedev professed? It’s a bit early for those kinds of prognostications, but the newcomer who first picked up the sport on the community courts of Irvine, California is certainly on the right trajectory; in his first full year on Tour a fast learner. 🎾 — By Richard Osborn

A BREAKTHROUGH IN MELBOURNE, MAIDEN TOUR-LEVEL TITLE, CAREER-HIGH RANKING, FIVE TOP 10 WINS, FIRST ATP 500 FINAL — IT’S BEEN QUITE A YEAR FOR YOU. WHAT ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF?
It was so much more than I was expecting, honestly. I’m really happy with how I managed things week to week, how I adapted throughout the year, through the ups and downs of the season. That’s what I’m most proud of. I do a pretty good job of keeping expectations off myself, just try to come in and enjoy it because I’m playing all these tournaments for the first time. I’m enjoying the experience, and that takes a lot of weight off my shoulders. I’m able to go out there and play freely.

YOU FACED THREE FORMER NO. 1S IN DJOKOVIC, SINNER AND MEDVEDEV, A BUNCH OF TOP 10 OPPONENTS. TALK ABOUT THE EXPERIENCE OF PLAYING GUYS OF THAT CALIBRE.
Coming into the season, I just wanted to get as much experience as I could. That was the big goal. I was able to play a lot of great players in very big venues, which was great for me. As a young player, I’m very lucky to have those chances. Obviously, you hate to see those guys in the first round, but having those experiences is very special, and I think it’ll help me a lot moving forward. I really enjoy those kinds of matches, and I’ve been fortunate enough to come through a lot of them.

HALL OF FAMER MICHAEL CHANG JOINED ERIK KORTLAND ON YOUR TEAM THIS SUMMER. WHAT KIND OF A VOICE HAS HE BEEN FOR YOU?
He brings a lot of experience, a lot of tennis knowledge. I don’t have much experience myself as it’s my first time around, so having someone on my team who really knows how things go, and having that many years, really helps me a lot. It’s been very special to have him on my team, the insight he brings, the experience he has. I feel like we’ve clicked pretty well.

Belgian Alexander Blockx somehow skirts the net during this frenetic exchange with Dino Prizmic at the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF.  

John McEnroe, Tommy Paul, James Blake, Victoria Azarenka and Jessica Pegula were among a host of ATP/WTA stars in attendance at the sixth annual Baha Mar Cup in Nassau, Bahamas.

The four-day event, hosted by native Bahamian Mark Knowles, the former PIF ATP Doubles Rankings No. 1, helped raise more than $300,000 for his namesake Mark Knowles Charity Tennis Initiative.

“It was a fantastic weekend of fun, laughter and sport all in the spirit of giving back to children’s charities in my beautiful country,” said Knowles, who won 55 tour-level doubles titles in his career, including three major trophies with longtime partner Daniel Nestor.

Have the guys been naughty or nice? That's what we asked the players to decide in our ‘Naughty or Nice’ game. 

Eight players, including Felix Auger-Aliassime, Taylor Fritz and Ben Shelton, placed photos on ‘naughty’ donuts or ‘nice’ donuts to reflect their own judgements on fellow players.

The photo of Alexander Bublik repeatedly appeared on the ‘naughty’ donut. Why? “He did 20 underarm serves against me in two matches,” said Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard. “He’s going to be in the naughty side!”

✅ VOTE NOW: From pressure-packed moments to dominant performances across an entire tournament, the ATP Perfect Serve of the Year by Stella Artois celebrates standout serves from 2025. Now, it is your turn to decide the winner.

🔙 ROGER’S RETURN: International Tennis Hall of Famer-to-be Roger Federer will return to the court with fellow former No. 1s Andre Agassi, Patrick Rafter and Lleyton Hewitt for an opening-night exo at the Australian Open. 

🩹 ON THE MEND: Though it didn’t keep him from attending the Next Gen ATP Finals, Rafael Nadal announced he recently underwent hand surgery. Joked the retired Spaniard: “Looks like I won’t be able to play the @AustralianOpen 2026.”

👕 WE’VE GOT SOMETHING IN STORE: The ATP Store, a dedicated online shopping destination for all things tennis, including a full catalogue of apparel and accessories, is scheduled to open in January 2026.

👟 AIMING HIGH: As he looks to take the next steps in his burgeoning career, #NextGenATP star Nishesh Basavareddy looks to tap into the expertise of his new coach, Gilles Cervara, who guided Daniil Medvedev to World No. 1.

Catch that one-of-a-kind one-handed backhand while you can.
 
Stan Wawrinka, the three-time Grand Slam champion who achieved a career-high No. 3 in the PIF ATP Rankings and might have received more acclaim had it not been for the otherworldly exploits of his contemporary and fellow Swiss Roger Federer, has announced that 2026 will be his final year on tour.
 
“ONE LAST PUSH,” Wawrinka, 40, shared on social media. “Every book needs an ending. It’s time to write the final chapter of my career as a professional tennis player.”
 
During a prolific run between 2013 and 2016, Wawrinka stretched the Big Four of Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray to a Big Five. A Wimbledon title away from the coveted career Grand Slam, he owns 16 singles titles. His 582 tour-level wins rank fourth among active players. Nicknamed Stan the Man, he famously partnered with his countryman Federer at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, claiming the men’s doubles gold medal, and helped lead Switzerland to its lone Davis Cup title in 2014. 

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