Learner Tien hopes to emulate coach Michael Chang’s success on clay: “I have full faith in everything he tells me”

HOUSTON—Qualifying weekend at the U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship set attendance records, but even after the last lines of main draw had been filled, many of the fans weren’t ready to go. For one, Ben Shelton, the tournament’s top draw and seed, was practicing inside River Oaks Country Club’s iconic stadium. And a few steps away, on even more intimate Court 4, Learner Tien was trading slides and shots with compatriot Tommy Paul.

Paul took off at 6 p.m., but Tien still had another 30 minutes of groundstrokes, slices and drop shots to work on. No one standing courtside dared leave their precious post.

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Tien, a 20-year-old Californian of Vietnamese descent, has quickly risen to 21^st in the world. Even if Houston wasn’t home to the country’s third-largest Vietnamese community, Tien would have drawn a crowd. But it certainly didn’t hurt his appeal.

“I actually noticed it last year,” Tien told TENNIS.com about the support from Houston’s large Vietnamese-American population (roughly 150,000 people). “I wasn’t here for that long last year, played one singles match, and practiced once this year, but I definitely feel that.”

The supporters not only saw a Top 25 player who is only starting to discover the potential in his game, but also a former Roland Garros champion: Michael Chang. A fellow Asian-American, Chang famously triumphed on the terre battue in 1989, as a 17-year-old, and has been working with Tien since last summer.

As tutelage goes for someone who views clay as a “learning process,” Tien seemingly couldn’t find a better fit than the 54-year-old role model.

“I have full faith in everything he tells me, and everything he wants me to do,” says Tien. “I really don’t question things, and it’s obviously paid off. That just adds to that trust.”

As the sun still glowed overhead, Tien worked on steady sequences of lefty forehands and two-handed backhands. His slices and drop shots—more impactful on clay courts than hard—needed some extra seasoning, which Chang calmly pointed out.

“The way he communicates and the way I communicate are pretty similar, and so I feel like I receive information from him very well,” Tien says.

What’s the one thing Chang has instilled upon Tien more than any other? The youngster took a long pause before answering that question. But when he did, he almost couldn’t stop talking about it.

“My self-belief has grown a lot since we started working together,” he began. “I think part of that is just having success and doing better. I wasn’t someone that struggled with that before in the past—I always had a lot of faith and belief in myself. But I would say that has really grown, since we started working together.”

The way he communicates and the way I communicate are pretty similar...I receive information from him very well. Learner Tien on Michael Chang

As Tien continued, he changed course, citing another element of Chang’s wisdom:

“It might sound a little random, but I think he’s helped me to realize that there’s more than just tennis. Obviously, it’s important, and I don’t know if this is on purpose or just a random thing, but it’s driven home to me that, while we’ve been working together, there’s a lot more than tennis.”

Tien might think about that, but he’s not questioning it, certainly not after his first full season on tour that was an unqualified success, His 36-24 year in 2025 began with a fourth-round run at the Australian Open, and ended with a Next Gen ATP Finals title. The nominal offseason did nothing to slow Tien’s momentum. He reached his first Grand Slam quarterfinal in Melbourne—taking Alexander Zverev to a fourth-set tiebreaker before capitulating—made the semifinals at Delray Beach, and the quarters at Indian Wells.

Those stateside runs included victories over Shelton and Frances Tiafoe, the top two seeds in Houston. Tien’s victory over Shelton, who playfully crashed his media appearance, was his second in two tries.

“Every time I play him, it’s always a difficult match-up,” Tien says when asked about their history, and his strategy. “I’m sure I’m gonna play him again in the future…so I’m not gonna say much.”

Should that future come to pass in Houston, Tien would have the opportunity to improve to 3-0 against Shelton, and also have wins over the star server on all three surfaces.

READ MORE: Houston, an ATP 250 and home of U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship, boasts 10 of Top 50

For that hypothetical to happen, Tien will first need to defeat either Nishesh Basavareddy or qualifier Liam Draxl in the round of 16, and possibly fifth seed Brandon Nakashima after that. He begins his tournament in doubles on Monday, with good friend Alex Michelsen.

And, of course, with Chang in his corner.

“Win or lose, and whether it’s a good week or a bad week, whether I go deep or I lose first round, it’s always very encouraging, energy always kind of remains the same,” Tien says of his mentor.

The sun was setting as our post-practice interview concluded, but not every fan had left. Those who stuck around behind a yellow rope for some 30 minutes were rewarded when Tien stopped by. It was a half hour well spent off the court, just as Tien hopes his extra half hour on the court will pay dividends of its own.