‘NOT With Me!’ – Boris Becker Makes Position Clear on American Learner Tien Amid Canadian Open Run

Learner Tien is among three Americans through to the quarterfinals of the ATP Canadian Open, alongside Brandon Nakashima and defending champion Ben Shelton. The 20-year-old has quietly powered his way into the last eight, attracting little fanfare along the way, but his run has caught the attention of Boris Becker.

Learner Tien Reaches His Second Masters 1000 Quarterfinal at the Canadian Open

In just his second full season on the ATP Tour, Tien has already established himself among the sport’s rising stars, reaching a career-high ranking of World No. 15 earlier this year. In addition to lifting the Next Gen ATP Finals trophy in 2025, he has two ATP 250 titles to his name — the 2025 Moselle Open and the 2026 Geneva Open.

The American also ranked among the ATP’s best performers against top-10 opponents in 2025, picking up five such wins. He has added two more top-10 victories so far this season, taking his career tally to seven.

At the ongoing event in Montréal, Learner Tien, the 16 seed, secured wins against former semifinalists Gaël Monfils and Tommy Paul before beating Thiago Tirante in the fourth round. This marks the player’s second quarterfinal appearance at a Masters 1000 tournament, after Indian Wells earlier this year.

He has, however, flown under the radar, according to six-time Grand Slam champion Boris Becker. The German legend believes a major breakthrough could be on the horizon for the 20-year-old.

“For some reason #Tien is flying under the radar with lots of experts …. certainly NOT with me ! He is the real deal; expect big things from him in the near future! @atptour,” Becker said in his strong claim.

Tien is part of a quarterfinal field comprising entirely of players born in the 2000s, making the 2026 Canadian Open the first Masters 1000 tournament in history to feature all eight players from that generation. While he continues to make progress on the ATP Tour, the like of Spain’s Rafael Jódar and Daniel Mérida Aguilar have created a massive buzz in Montréal.

MORE:‘I Have To Accept’ – Jannik Sinner Issues Statement As Cincinnati Withdrawal Rocks the Tennis World

Jódar, aged 19, is contesting his third consecutive Masters 1000 quarterfinal during his first pro season. Meanwhile, Mérida Aguilar, who takes on Tien next, is making his last eight debut. Besides the two Spaniards and the three Americans, the field also includes Arthur Fils, 2025 Miami Open champion Jakub Menšík, and Luciano Darderi.

This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.