Americans have seen many tennis greats come and go during their esteemed history in the sport.
The country boasts some of the most accomplished singles players of all time, including Serena Williams, Jimmy Connors and Andre Agassi. Some of the best doubles players have also made their name in the sport; the Bryan brothers are considered to be among the best doubles pairings of all time.
The new generation has shown significant promise. Coco Gauff is a two-time Grand Slam champion, while Taylor Fritz reached the 2024 US Open final. Furthermore, Ben Shelton and Frances Tiafoe have both reached the Grand Slam semi-final stage.
However, American male players are suffering from a drought. You have to go back to 2003 to find the last male American to win a Grand Slam singles title, when Andy Roddick beat Juan Carlos Ferrero to win the US Open.
Despite the likes of Shelton and Gauff taking the majority of headlines in recent times, another teenage American player has put himself in the same conversation as Pete Sampras.
Learner Tien joins Pete Sampras on exclusive list
Learner Tien has enjoyed a breakout 2025 campaign after initially stunning tennis fans at the Australian Open.
The 19-year-old beat former world number one Daniil Medvedev on his way to a fourth round appearance at the 2025 Australian Open.
The young American has impressed throughout the year, picking up wins at the Italian Open and Wimbledon.
Fast forward to July, and Tien is competing in the Canadian Open. On Sunday evening, the 19-year-old captured his second ATP Masters 1000 victory of the season, defeating compatriot Colton Smith 6-4 7-5.
As per OptaAce, since the ATP format’s introduction in 1990, Learner Tien is now the fifth American teenager to win ATP Masters 1000 matches on multiple surfaces, along with Jim Courier, Michael Chang, Pete Sampras and Andy Roddick.
Tien’s previous Masters 1000 victory came at the 2025 Italian Open, where he beat Reilly Opelka 6-4 7-6 in the first round.
A North American clash in Canada
Tien’s next opponent in Canada, Denis Shapovalov, has come into the tournament in red-hot form, having recently won the Los Cabos Open.
Undoubtedly, the match will be tricky for Tien. Not only will Shapovalov be brimming with confidence after his recent tournament victory, the Canadian will likely have the full support of the home crowd.
Tien can take some positives going into the match. He registered a strong serving performance against Colton Smith, winning 81 per cent of his first serve points and 71 per cent of his second serve points.
However, the American will need to improve his overall consistency on serve, having struck six double faults against Smith.
