Learner Tien is one of the biggest promises on the ATP circuit. At just 20 years old, the American tennis player already competes head-to-head with the best players in the world, holding the number 22 position in the ATP rankings. A major factor in this is Michael Chang, a tennis legend, whom he wanted to thank for everything he is doing for him in an interview with Tennis Channel.
Learner Tien's current coach is a former Roland Garros champion (1989), among many other achievements, so the American tennis player considers him vital to successfully adapt his game on clay, a surface that least suits his style. Michael Chang has not only transformed Learner as a player but also as a person, teaching him that there are many more things besides tennis and how to manage emotions at his young age.
"On clay, I am in a learning process. I have full confidence in everything Michael tells me and in everything he wants me to do. I don't really question anything, and obviously, it has paid off. That only boosts my confidence even more. The way he communicates and the way I communicate are quite similar, so I feel that I receive information from him very well," says Tien, whose personality perfectly aligns with Chang's, a key point in understanding the success of the pair.

Tien reveals how Chang has helped him believe more in himself
Tien's statements only reinforce that he has found in Michael the perfect coach for his interests, someone who has found the key both in sport and psychologically. "My self-confidence has grown a lot since we started working together. I think part of that is simply because I am succeeding and improving. Before, I had no issues with that; I always had a lot of faith and confidence in myself, but I would say that has increased a lot since we started working together."
"It may sound a bit strange, but I think he has helped me realize that there is more than tennis. Obviously, it is important, and I don't know if it's intentional or just coincidence, but he has made me understand that even though we have been working together, there is much more than tennis. Whether I win or lose, whether it is a good or a bad week, whether I go far or lose in the first round, it is always very encouraging, the energy always remains the same," he concluded.
Perhaps it is still early for Learner Tien to find perfection on clay, where he barely added victories last year, but what is clear is that if anyone can achieve it alongside him, that is Michael Chang. The fact that the American coach won Roland Garros is secondary because tennis is not mathematics, but it is enough to read Tien's statements to understand that there is only one right path for both: to stay together.
Cette actualité est une traduction automatique. Vous pouvez lire la nouvelle originale Tien alaba la figura de Michael Chang: "Tengo plena confianza en todo lo que dice"

