Learner Tien advanced to the third round of the BNP Paribas Open 2026 by defeating Adam Walton 7-6(3), 7-6(8) in a match decided by tiebreaks. The 20-year-old American reached his 50th tour-level victory, becoming the youngest US player to do so since Andy Roddick. Tien now awaits the winner of the Ben Shelton-Reilly Opelka matchup.
Learner Tien, the 20-year-old left-hander from Irvine, California and world No. 27, continued his strong 2026 season with a 7-6(3), 7-6(8) victory over Australia's Adam Walton, ranked No. 91, at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells. As the No. 25 seed, Tien defended his position on Stadium 3, showcasing poise in two tense tiebreaks to secure the win.
The match featured no breaks of serve, with the first set ending in a 7-3 tiebreak win for Tien due to his baseline precision. In the second set, Walton earned two set points at 6-5 and 8-7 in the tiebreak but failed to convert, allowing Tien to prevail 10-8. Walton had entered the second round after a 6-3, 6-3 defeat of Frenchman Quentin Halys, but could not breach Tien's defense. This result gives Tien a 2-0 head-to-head edge over Walton.
The victory marked Tien's 50th tour-level win, achieved at 20 years and three months, placing him second on the list of youngest Americans to reach the milestone since 2000, behind Andy Roddick (19 years and four months). Alex Michelsen ranks third, followed by Sam Querrey and Taylor Fritz. Reflecting on the achievement, Tien told ATPTour.com: "It is great. I also saw I was two months younger than Alex. I think it is cool." He added, "I feel like it has flown by. I still remember my first win so vividly and how much that meant to me. Obviously, 50 is a pretty big benchmark and now I am pushing for 100."
Tien's rapid rise includes his maiden tour-level win in August 2024 in Winston-Salem, his first ATP Tour title in Metz last November, the Next Gen ATP Finals in Jeddah, and five Top 10 victories. Earlier in 2026, he reached the Australian Open quarterfinals. Next, Tien faces either No. 8 seed Ben Shelton or Reilly Opelka in the third round.
