Learner Tien arrived right on time at the U.S. Open tennis tournament on Tuesday, which meant he was early.

The 16-year-old from Irvine became the youngest male to play at the Grand Slam event in New York since 2019, and even won his first set.

All this from a teenager who entered a charter high school at age 11, and has already graduated.

Tien indeed learns fast as his first name suggests.

He dropped his first-round match against No. 32 seed Miomir Kecmanovic of Serbia 3-6, 6-1, 6-3, 6-3 but took plenty of positives from his first trip to the Big Apple.

“It was a really cool experience,” he said in a phone interview after his 2 hour and 24 minute match. “(Playing the U.S. Open) is something I’ve always strived to do.”

Tien said his confidence grew after winning the opening set on Court 8 though perhaps a bit too much. He said some “loose” points followed the first set.

“I think I played all right,” said the left-handed Tien, who recorded five aces but 40 unforced errors — 24 more than Kecmanovic, ranked 36th in the world.

Tien earned his wild-card entry into the U.S. Open by winning the recent USTA National Championships for 18s in Kalamazoo, Mich.

He made the trip to New York with his father Khuong and sister Justice, 20. His mother Huyen’s occupation as a school teacher inspired his first name.

Tien also was accompanied in New York by his coaches from the Tier 1 performance academy in Irvine: Eric Diaz, Jay Leavitt and Fillip Pogostkin.

Tien said he didn’t plan to celebrate his debut much because he “didn’t win” but hoped to rest and perhaps watch Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz — one of his favorites — play in the coming days.

The next challenge on his list is the junior U.S. Open, also in New York. Tien has been riding a hot streak the past several months and hopes to play well. His said his performance could determine whether he turns pro or picks college tennis.

“I’ve really taken it up a notch,” Tien said of his commitment to tennis on and off the court.