Daniil Medvedev came into the season red-hot at 8-0, but it took just 1 hour and 42 minutes for Learner Tien to flip everything on its head. Despite lacking height and big serving power, and even dealing with a nosebleed in the opening set, the young American delivered a stunning performance, leaving searching for an answer once more.

Medvedev had entered the match leading their head-to-head 2-1 and carrying confidence from his Round of 16 win over Tien at the Shanghai Masters. He was hoping for another tight battle in their trilogy. Instead, things unraveled quickly as Tien rolled past 6-4, 6-0, 6-3. And Medvedev didn’t hide his frustration afterward.

“He played too good for me today. Could I do better? I mean, you can always do better if you lose with the scoreline I did. He had a good match and I didn’t manage to rival his level. And that’s why basically I lost and there is nothing to change anymore right now,” the 29-year-old said in his post-match press conference.

The former three-time finalist in Melbourne may not have fully expected this kind of challenge from the world No. 29, even after their marathon five-hour match in the second round last year that ended with a fifth-set tiebreak around 3:00 in the morning.

That night also ended badly for Medvedev. So after losing to Tien again, a reporter asked him how he would compare his level today to what it was a year ago against the same opponent.

“If you compare the exact match, I don’t know. I want to say I played better last year,” Medvedev said, before admitting he really didn’t have a clear answer. He also brushed off any physical excuses. “The match with Fabian was for sure intense,” he explained, “but it was not even four hours. I felt fine,” when asked about how his legs were holding up.

Despite the loss, Medvedev made it clear he isn’t letting this defeat break his confidence. “I should try not to focus on this exact match, which was not good, because he outplayed me, so that’s not a good feeling,” he said.

He then added, “But I should focus more on the general picture and just continue working the way I did for the last tournaments… Of course, it’s unfortunate to finish a Grand Slam like this when I was feeling well and confident, but it is what it is.”

It’s also worth remembering that even after a rough 2025 season, Medvedev showed flashes of his old self earlier this month. He even took a cheeky dig at the ATP after winning his 22nd career title in a 22nd different city, while also becoming the third active player to reach 20 hard-court titles. This time, though, he couldn’t keep that momentum going. Still, even in defeat, he had plenty of praise for his young opponent.

“He played great, super-aggressive. Even when I was making good shots, he was making a better shot back,” Medvedev said. “I didn’t find many solutions today on the court, which is rare, and I didn’t feel that many times in my life like this.”

Now, Daniil Medvedev will look to reset and prepare for what’s next. He’s scheduled to play the ATP 500 event in Rotterdam, where he’ll try to rediscover his best form, just like he did there in 2023 when he lifted the title by beating Holger Rune in straight sets.

Déjà vu for Daniil Medvedev’s rising rival after Melbourne upset

With his win over Daniil Medvedev, Learner Tien made history. He became the youngest quarterfinalist at the Australian Open since Nick Kyrgios in 2015 to reach the last eight at Melbourne Park, and the youngest American to do so at a major since Andy Roddick at the 2002 US Open.

Understandably, the moment meant everything to him. “It feels amazing,” Tien said after the match. “It’s always so special for me to come back and play here. Every year since I’ve been coming here, the crowd support has been amazing. I don’t know why, honestly, a crowd like this with this much energy and support, it means the world to me to do it here.”

There was also a sense of déjà vu for Tien as he reflected on his journey. “I feel like I have a lot more experience now,” he said, comparing this run to past wins in Australia. “I mean, I have only had a year since then, but that’s a lot more than I had then.”

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Off the court, Tien is still very grounded. When he’s not on tour, he lives at home with his Vietnamese parents, Khuong Dan Tien, an estate attorney, and Huyen Tien, a math teacher. He also now has 1989 French Open champion Michael Chang working with his coaching team.

Regardless, what’s impressive about this match was that Tien only needed a seven-minute medical timeout after the third game for tissues and treatment for a nosebleed, but it didn’t break his rhythm.

And things won’t get any easier from here, with world No. 3 Alexander Zverev, last year’s runner-up in Melbourne, waiting for him next. So, do you think he has what it takes to get past the 28-year-old?