The China Open faces another tough call, and another setback for Daniil Medvedev. The Russian has been chasing his next title, but luck has stayed out of reach. Back-to-back early exits, including at the Grand Slams, stirred worry among fans. The Asian swing brought some hope, with Medvedev making his first semifinal since Halle in June. But this chance slipped by too.

On Tuesday, Medvedev’s clash at the China Open turned into more drama than anyone expected. He faced 19-year-old rising star Learner Tien and started strong, taking the first set. The teenager refused to fold, and ultimately, he came out winning as Medvedev pulled out due to injury and cramps.

The Russian pushed hard, dragged the match into a decider, and looked ready to fight for a spot in the final against Jannik Sinner. The final set unraveled fast. And in his second tournament after the US Open, Daniil Medvedev’s body failed him, and by the time he quit, Tien was leading 5-7, 7-5, 4-0. Which sends him to the final to battle the No.1 seed.

Medvedev’s exit from the match was one of many retirements including hometown favorite, Zheng Qinwen, Jakub Menšík, Camila Osorio, Lorenzo Musetti, Barbora Krejčíková, Paula Badosa, and Loïs Boisson. In fact, it even prompted Iga Swiatek to admit that she may consider skipping compulsory tournaments in the future if there’s no reprieve from the hectic scheduling.

The teenager walked away with a walkover win and a slice of history. At just 19, he became the second youngest player to reach the China Open final, a feat only Rafael Nadal had achieved earlier. But for Daniil Medvedev? The day closed in frustration and another setback.

This walkover comes after a tough stretch for the Russian, who faced early exits at both the US Open and Hangzhou Open. The drama in New York was something else. He got into a heated argument with the umpire after his opponent was granted a first serve again due to a photographer wandering onto the court. Things escalated quickly as he shouted, “what did Reillu Opelka say?” sparking chaos among the crowd that paused the match for a solid 10 minutes. Later, he was fined and reprimanded, even smashing his racket after losing a five-set thriller.

This time, the tension flared again, but the issue was different. Down 2-0 in the final set, Medvedev received a code violation from umpire Adel Nour for allegedly not giving his best effort. Daniil Medvedev wasn’t having it and immediately appealed to supervisor Roland Herfel, refusing to back down. His fight didn’t earn him the win, but it certainly earned respect from his opponent.

Learner Tien shows empathy for the injured Daniil Medvedev

After the match, the ATP Next Gen star shared his thoughts on a comeback that had the crowd buzzing. “I was down 3-5 and 2-4 in the second and clawed my way back,” Tien said. He noticed Daniil Medvedev limping after a bathroom break, unsure what went wrong “I think it was cramping and I have been there and it is not fun. All the best to him and it is not how you want to come through a match but I am happy to be in the final.”

The American was playing his first-ever tour-level semi-final. He looked in trouble when trailing 1-4 and 3-5 in the second set. But he pounced on crucial Medvedev errors at the right time. In the decider, he took full advantage of the 29-year-old’s restricted movement to close the match after two hours and 26 minutes. Medvedev’s struggles to chase down balls pointed to clear signs of cramping.

Tien now owns a 7-5 record against Top 20 players. Even more impressive, he leads his head-to-head with Medvedev 2-0, having beaten the former World No. 1 at the Australian Open earlier this year. This latest win fuels his confidence and strengthens the hype around the rising star.

The win also propels him up the rankings. He has jumped 16 spots to No. 36 in the ATP Live Rankings. He is set to qualify for the Next Gen ATP Finals for the second year running. Tien currently sits second in the ATP Live Race To Jeddah and is quickly becoming one of the must-watch names of the season.

On Wednesday, Tien will face World No. 2 Jannik Sinner in the Beijing final. At just 19, he is the second-youngest finalist in the tournament’s history, behind only Rafael Nadal, and among the youngest finalists of the entire year. Meanwhile, Daniil Medvedev will try to regroup for the Shanghai Masters starting October 3. Will he recover in time for a deep run? Share your thoughts in the comments below!