"Chang, the Hall of Famer who won the 1989 French Open at age 17 and later rose to No. 2 in the world, has rarely taken on coaching roles since retiring from the tour. But the opportunity to mentor Tien - a rising 20-year-old American with a brainy game and similar background - proved intriguing."
"Chang, 54, and Tien share plenty of surface synergies. Both hail from Southern California and are products of the same tennis ecosystem. Both are Asian American. Both are analytical tennis thinkers. That proximity, along with a shared outlook on the game, helped lay the foundation for a collaboration that has already produced strong results."
"On the heels of his breakout 2025 season and Australian Open quarterfinal showing, Tien enters the BNP Paribas Open as the youngest player in the top 30 and seeded No. 25. He defeated ailing eighth-ranked American Ben Shelton in the third round on Sunday to improve his record against top-10 players to 6-5."
Michael Chang, the Hall of Famer who won the 1989 French Open at age 17, has taken on a coaching role with Learner Tien, a rising 20-year-old American tennis player. The partnership began midway through last season and has already produced strong results. Tien enters the BNP Paribas Open as the youngest player in the top 30, seeded No. 25, following a breakout 2025 season and Australian Open quarterfinal appearance. Chang and Tien share significant commonalities: both are from Southern California, products of the same tennis ecosystem, Asian American, and analytical thinkers. Their collaboration began when they met briefly in Hong Kong, followed by a formal coaching inquiry from Tien's team after Wimbledon. Tien's impressive 6-5 record against top-10 players demonstrates his competitive capability at an elite level.
Read at Los Angeles Times
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