Overview
- Tien defeated Australia’s Adam Walton 7-6 (3), 7-6 (8) after a first-round bye to advance at the BNP Paribas Open.
- The win sets up a meeting with fellow American left-hander and No. 8 seed Ben Shelton.
- Seeded 25th, Tien has surged from roughly No. 736 a year ago to No. 27 entering Indian Wells, peaking at No. 23 following his Australian Open quarterfinal.
- Tien has worked with Michael Chang since mid-2025, drawing on guidance from the youngest men’s Grand Slam singles champion.
- Novak Djokovic has publicly praised Tien’s potential, while analysts point to serve refinement as the key area for his next leap.