Rising tennis star Learner Tien was born on December 2, 2005, in Irvine, California, to Vietnamese parents Khuong Dan Tien and Huyen Tien. He grew up with his sister Justice. At just 19 years, Tien has already achieved a career-high ATP ranking of world No. 48 and a doubles ranking of No. 343, both reached on August 18, 2025.
Learner Tien and His Sister Justice’s Interesting Names
Learner Tien has an interesting name. Even more intriguing is his sister’s name, Justice. The way their parents chose those names is perhaps the most captivating part of all. His first name, Learner, was inspired by his mother’s profession as a math teacher. At the same time, his two-year-older sister, Justice, was named after their father’s profession, a real estate lawyer.
While talking about their names, his father, Khuong, said,
Learner Tien and sister Justice with Grigor Dimitrov at Indian Wells
byu/noodlevague intennis
“An attorney seeks justice. A teacher seeks a learner. They were virtuous names.”
Both Learner and his sister Justice were homeschooled. Their mother left her job soon after Justice was born. Their parents played tennis recreationally, and it was never an initial focus for Learner. Since their mother was already a stay-at-home mom and teaching it to Justice, she thought of simply including Learner in her teaching routine as well.
While talking about how he got his start with tennis, Learner said,
“The tennis wasn’t really in the picture yet. My sister is a few years older than me, so my mom retired when my sister was born, so she was already just at home with my sister starting to teach my sister. So she just thought she’d teach me, too,” said Learner.
Learner Tien Grand Slam Debut
Tien won the 2022 USTA Boys 18s National Championship at just 16 years old. This earned him a wildcard into the main draw of the 2022 US Open, making him the youngest men’s singles competitor at the US Open since Donald Young. However, he fell in four sets to the 32nd seed Miomir Kecmanovic.
The following year, Tien received another US Open wildcard but, unfortunately, was defeated in the first round by Frances Tiafoe.
Similarly, Tien made his Australian Open debut after qualifying for the main draw and defeated Camilo Ugo Carabelli in the first round for his maiden Grand Slam win. He then solidified his status as a rising star by beating fifth seed Daniil Medvedev.
