Vietnamese-American tennis player Learner Tien defeated the No. 1 seed Alexander Zverev with a score of 6-3, 6-4 in round 2 to advance to the quarter-finals of the Mexico Open at Acapulco.
This is the second victory in his career against a tennis player in the world's top 5. The German star is currently ranked 2nd in the world. The 19-year-old previously beat Daniil Medvedev (ranked fifth in the world) in the fourth round of the Australian Open in January 2025.
With that victory, Tien became the youngest player to beat a top-three player since 2022, when Carlos Alcaraz (19 years old) beat world-class player Zverev in the Madrid Open final.
In addition, he became the youngest American male tennis player to beat a top-three player since 2001, when Andy Roddick (then 18 years old) defeated world No. 1 Gustavo Kuerten in the third round of the Masters 1000 in Canada.
In the quarter-finals, Tien (83rd) will face the number 8 seed Tomas Machac (ranked 25th in the world). The opponent went through after defeating Daniel altmaier with a score of 7-6 (1), 6-1.
Tien was born in Irvine, California, and his parents are both Vietnamese. He is the eldest child of Mr. Khuong Dan Tien and Mrs. Huyen Tien, and has a younger sister. Tien's parents introduced him to tennis at a young age, helping him develop skills and a passion for the sport.
