American tennis has some exciting prospects coming through on both the ATP and WTA Tours.
Taylor Fritz, who just lost in the Japan Open final, is currently the leading American player on the ATP Tour and one of two in the top 10 alongside Ben Shelton.
However, American men’s tennis is still seeking a Grand Slam singles champion, with the last coming when Andy Roddick won the US Open in 2003.
Someone who knows the pressure of being a high-performing American player on the ATP Tour is former top 30 player Steve Johnson, who has now made a prediction for one of his compatriots.
Photo by China Open Official 2025/VCG via Getty ImagesSteve Johnson praises Learner Tien and claims it is good that he is ‘flying under the radar’
The American player that Johnson has been talking about is promising teenager Learner Tien, who has reached his first ATP Tour final at the China Open.
This has all been part of a breakthrough season for the former Grand Slam junior finalist, with Tien also reaching the fourth round of the Australian Open.
Tien has achieved something only Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner can better this year, and Johnson was full of praise for the 19-year-old ahead of his semifinal with Daniil Medvedev.
“For sure there is a chance,” Johnson said on the Nothing Major podcast when asked if Tien could beat Medvedev. “He has beaten Medvedev already this year and Medvedev has had a terrible year by his standards.
“So he does have a chance and then you make a final. I don’t like his chances against [Jannik] Sinner. But still, that gives him a springboard of more confidence and more belief and for him he’s still flying under the radar, which is good.
“He is not somebody who needs the spotlight, it doesn’t seem like, and he doesn’t care that he isn’t getting talked about with the other players who are ranked as high or even just a bit lower than him.”
Johnson was right and Tien was able to beat Medvedev, who retired with an injury in the third set of their China Open semifinal.
Could Learner Tien break into the top 30 after the China Open?
Tien began the 2025 season as the world number 120, and he has been able to make a monumental climb up the ATP rankings ever since then.
Ahead of the ATP 500 event in Beijing, Tien was ranked at world number 52, and has a career-high of world number 48.
Tien is already confirmed to improve that to at least world number 36, and would be knocking on the door of the top 30 if he wins the China Open title.
However, standing in the way of Tien achieving that feat is top seed and four-time Grand Slam champion Jannik Sinner.
While this appears to be an uphill task for Tien, Sinner did appear to be struggling physically in his semifinal win against Alex de Minaur.
The China Open final between Tien and Sinner will take place in Beijing on Wednesday, October 1.