French Player Luca Van Assche Ousts Learner Tien at Paris Masters

The 2026 Rolex Paris Masters witnessed a wave of dramatic upsets and unexpected exits on the indoor hard courts of La Defense Arena in Paris, France. Among the early round casualties was 15th-seeded Learner Tien, who bowed out of the ATP 1000 tournament following a tough loss in the second round.

Tien faced France's Luca Van Assche on Wednesday in a hard-fought encounter. The young American fought valiantly but ultimately fell to the local favorite, who capitalized on crucial points in both sets to secure a 7-6(4), 6-4 victory.

The opening set proved to be a tightly contested battle, with both competitors holding serve to force a tie-break. Van Assche managed to raise his level just enough during the extra session, taking the tie-break 7-4 to gain the psychological edge in the match.

Carrying the momentum into the second set, the French player maintained pressure on Tien's service games. Van Assche broke through to secure a 6-4 win, wrapping up the straight-sets victory and booking his ticket to the next stage of the prestigious tournament.

With this victory, Van Assche advanced to the Round of 16, where he is scheduled to face Italian standout Lorenzo Musetti. Musetti made headlines on the same day by defeating the newly crowned world number one, Alexander Zverev, in a stunning upset.

The tournament has proven volatile for seeded players, featuring a series of surprising results alongside Van Assche's win over Tien. Top players like Novak Djokovic, Daniil Medvedev, and Alex de Minaur also suffered unexpected exits during a chaotic day of matches in the French capital.

As the competition moves deeper into the week, the remaining contenders will look to navigate the unique indoor hard-court conditions at La Defense Arena. For Van Assche, the upcoming clash against Musetti presents another tough test in front of the home crowd.