challenger
Tian’s path from challenger breakthrough to tour star
American wins three ATP Challenger titles ahead of rookie season on ATP Tour in 2024
December 23, 2025
Paul Banik/Colleen Dubreuil/ATP Tour
In 2025, the novice Tien achieved a career-high No. 28 in the PIF ATP Rankings.
Written by ATP Staff
While 2025 marks Tian’s breakout season on the ATP Tour, the blueprint was drawn a year ago when the southpaw proved himself on the ITF World Tennis Tour and ATP Challenger Tour.
Away from the glare of the Next Generation ATP Finals presented by PIF, Tianyu won the event on Sunday, joining an elite list of former champions including Carlos Alcaraz and Yannick Sinner, and the American is laying the groundwork.
Back in early 2024, Tien was out for three months due to a seventh rib injury that made it difficult to move his dominant arm. Since then, Tian’s meteoric rise has rarely slowed. Tien is where he is today thanks in part to the ATP Challenger Tour, which has long been seen as a launching pad for rising stars. Even the greatest names in the sport, including the “Big Three” have to compete in the Challenger Series.
Tien enjoyed a stellar junior career, winning the USTA Men’s Under-18 National Championship twice (2022, 2023). He also reached the finals of two junior Grand Slam tournaments. Tien declared pro in 2024 and notably built a 28-match winning streak that included four ITF World Tennis Tour titles and his first Challenger trophy.
“Playing in a tournament like this really allows you to take the next step,” Tian said after Sunday’s victory in Jeddah. “I think the amount of games you have to play, especially if you win them – I think the confidence it gives you, really boosts you to the next level.”
Tian’s opponent in the Bloomfield Hills First Challenge final is compatriot Nishesh Basavareddy, whom he met again in the Jeddah semi-finals last week. The Challenger match between Thien and Basavareddy was only the third time in Challenger history that two American teenagers had competed in the finals. Tian, then 18, needed tiebreakers in all five matches that week.
“I’m really happy and relieved to be getting through all of this,” Tian said at the time. “I’m really excited to get my first Challenger. It’s one of the things I want to cross off my list this year.”
Tian accomplished his goal, winning a Challenger Championship and then a few more. He ended the 2024 season with a hat trick of Challenger Trophies and also had wins at Las Vegas and Fairfield. He compiled an outstanding record of 35-9 at this level. In Las Vegas, Tien defeated former No. 17 Bernard Tomic 6-0, 6-1 in the 39-minute final, the shortest championship match in Challenger history.
Cadet Tian competes at the ATP Challenger Tour 75 event in Fairfield, California. ” style=”width:100%” src=”https://www.atptour.com/-/media/images/news/2024/10/14/13/54/tien-fairfieldch-2024.jpg”>
Learner Tien in action at the 2024 Fairfield Challenger. Photo Credit: Taube – Grossman Pro Tennis Championships
The California native joins Andy Roddick, Sam Querrey and Taylor Fritz on the exclusive list of Americans who have won three Challenge titles before their 19th birthday.
“If you had told me six months ago that this is what my year would be like, I would have been a little skeptical,” Tian told commentator Mike Keshen after winning the Fairfield Challenger.
Before Tenn continued his 28-game winning streak, he posted a picture on Instagram of two pickaxe-wielding excavators in a dirt tunnel. One almost gave up; the other gave up. The other continued to swing, inching closer to the diamond he hoped but didn’t know was on the other side.
This indomitable mentality has been reflected in Tian’s steady rise and has translated into tangible results. The 20-year-old won his first tour-level title in Metz in November and has reached a career-high No. 28 in the PIF ATP Rankings. Last year, Tien reached the finals of the Next Generation ATP Finals hosted by PIF, where he went one step further and took home $502,250 in first place prize money.
It’s safe to say that Tian’s “rise” days are behind him. Tian has reached the pinnacle of the sport. The intimate Challenger field and pursuit of breakthroughs are now part of his past. Tian successfully used these experiences to get himself to where he is today.
“I think the Challengers are great,” Tian said. “I think it prepares you to play a lot of games in a row. It’s not easy out there.”
