Tien eyes future beyond baseline as Madrid debut beckons

MADRID, April 24 : World number 21 Learner Tien is only 20, yet the American is already thinking about the day the applause fades and his tennis rackets are packed away.

The 2025 Next Gen ATP champion believes tennis should be a springboard rather than a safety net as he prepares to make his Madrid Open debut on Saturday.

Tien acknowledged that there is a growing trend of professional athletes broadening their horizons beyond their primary careers, a shift in thinking the 20-year-old credits to increased financial awareness and strong advisory teams around modern athletes.

"I think everyone recognizes that tennis doesn't last forever, and you want to use tennis to set yourself up for the rest of your life," Tien told Reuters in Madrid.

"A lot of tennis players, I'd say, don't go to college, don't finish their education - I think that there's a balance to it. I think that you shouldn't be skipping practice trying to research how to handle your money.

"But I think it's baby steps. It's important just to kind of get the ball rolling and start to understand these things... I would definitely say there's a pretty conscious effort to learn about it these days."

While the tennis world waits for the first American man to win a Grand Slam since Andy Roddick at the 2003 U.S. Open, Tien appears unfazed by expectation.

The Southern Californian, who has climbed swiftly up the rankings, said cautionary tales from sport have sharpened his focus.

"You hear these stories of these successful athletes kind of, experimenting, losing some of their money, and not really being able to support themselves financially after their careers are over," he said.

"So I think it's great to have education resources and it's great that they are available to