Tennis star Learner Tien was taken to hospital just hours after his second-round defeat to Marton Fucsovics at Wimbledon on Wednesday. The American, who reached the Australian Open quarter-final earlier this year, lost 6-7 (6-8), 6-4, 7-6 (7-4), 6-3 to the Hungarian. Tien, touted as a future Grand Slam winner, struggled visibly during the match and required a medical timeout midway through. He was reportedly suffering from a stomach problem, leading to the unusual sight of Tien eating a plain piece of bread during the first changeover of the fourth set.
Hospital Visit and Social Media Post
Fears over Tien's health intensified after the match when he posted a photo on social media of himself lying in a hospital bed with an IV drip attached. However, a large amount of McDonald's takeaway food on the table beside him suggested the issue may not have been serious. The 20-year-old's grass court season ended disappointingly, as he failed to improve on his second-round run at Wimbledon last year.
Looking Ahead to Hard Court Season
Assuming he recovers fully, Tien will shift focus to the North American hard court swing. He has never advanced past the first round at his home Grand Slam, the US Open, and is eager to make an impression at Flushing Meadows this year. Legendary American tennis ace John McEnroe tipped Tien to reach a Slam final ahead of the recent French Open, adding to the expectations.
Responding to McEnroe's praise, Tien said: "I would never go out and say I have the best shot of anybody, because the US has a great crop of young guys who are really making big strides, especially on the clay. The results are obviously going in the right direction for Americans on clay. Personally, I think that I do have a game that can suit the clay. Obviously it’s not something that I grew up playing on, but with more time, and I just think more experience on the clay, I do think that I can have success on this surface. But I think for a lot of Americans that is the case. A lot of us just haven’t really been exposed to the surface and just the more we get on, the more matches we play, just helps a lot."
