“It’s a lot to take in, playing all these new events,” said 19-year-old American sensation Learner Tien in an interaction with ATP on Wednesday. His pro tennis season, so far, has been a rollercoaster. Back in January, he reached the R16 of the Australian Open, becoming the youngest man since legend Rafael Nadal in 2005 to make it to the Melbourne Major’s fourth round. Along the way, he also clinched his first top 10 win, in the second round, over Russian pro Daniil Medvedev.

However, his recent on-court journey across different ATP events has been inconsistent. The youngster is coming off an early exit at the BMW Open last week. But he will look to forget it and focus on his next challenge in Madrid. On Thursday, he’s set to kick off his campaign against compatriot Marcos Giron.

Learner Tien v Marcos Giron: Preview

Learner Tien had a dream start to his ATP journey when he succeeded in reaching the fourth round of the Happy Slam. In the second round, he even stunned Russian star Medvedev in a crunch battle that lasted almost five hours. Eventually, Tien pulled off an upset and ousted the Russian pro with a score line of 6-3, 7-6(4), 6-10, 1-6,7-6(7). Tien’s campaign finally ended after a loss to Italy’s Lorenzo Sonego in the fourth round. Overall, it was a confidence-boosting experience for the teenager. Sadly, he couldn’t maintain a promising form in the next event.

At the Delray Beach Open, Tien faced an early R16 exit after losing to Italy’s Matteo Arnaldi. But he bounced back soon in Mexico. The American succeeded in reaching the QF stage before his defeat against Tomas Machac. In the next four ATP events, however, Tien’s form took a huge dip. At the Indian Wells Masters, Miami Open, Houston, and BMW Open, he crashed out in R128, R128, R32, and R32, respectively.

Speaking of his opponent and compatriot Marcos Giron, his 2025 season has been mediocre as well, with a few good runs. He began the year on a promising note and reached the QF of the Adelaide International. Then at the Australian Open, too, he managed to enter the third round before losing to eventual champion and World No.1 Jannik Sinner. At the Dallas Open and Mexican Open, too, he showed consistency and entered the QF round.

However, his last four appearances have been forgettable at best. At the Indian Wells Masters, Miami Open, Monte Carlo Masters, and BMW Open, he was eliminated in R16, R128, R32, and R32, respectively.

Tien v Giron: Head-to-Head

Both players have never met each other at a professional event. Currently, their H2H tally stands at 0-0. Thursday’s match will mark their maiden face-off in an ATP event.

Prediction: Marcos Giron to win in three sets

When it comes to singles stats this season, both players have struggled to show a dominant form. Still, Marcos Giron has a slight edge, having won 11 of his 19 matches so far, compared to Learner Tien (6-8). Now, coming onto event history, Giron has quite a lot of experience at the Madrid Open. But he’s not been able to make deep runs yet. He earned his best campaign in 2021, when he made it to the R32. In his last two appearances (2023 and 2024), he was ousted in R64 and R128, respectively. On the other hand, it’s the event debut for Tien this week.

But what about their playing styles? Well, Giron is known for his baseline game. He’s physically very strong, with an ability to play through long encounters using an aggressive approach. He’s also got a solid forehand to dominate his opponents. Not to mention his two-handed backhand that can come in handy at times to earn crucial points.

Speaking of Tien, he prefers to utilize his tactical style, being an all-court player. He stays composed even in intense moments, while capitalizing on his smart shot selection, variety, and focusing on accumulating points. He doesn’t just rely on power and speed alone.

Given Giron’s prior experience in Madrid and his slightly better performance this season, the 31-year-old is likely to emerge victorious against Tien on Thursday. While there may come a tough challenge from the 19-year-old, Marcos Giron is expected to win in three sets.