A number of left-handers will take to the court at the Dallas ATP 500 on Tuesday in Learner Tien and Denis Shapovalov. They will face Marin Cilic and Rafael Jodar, respectively, in the opening round.
Marin Cilic vs. (6) Student Tien
There will be a 17-year age gap on display when Tien and Cilic meet for the first time in the first round of the Dallas Open on Tuesday. The 20-year-old Tien is coming off another impressive run at the Australian Open, where he reached the fourth round in 2025 and the quarterfinals last month. Cilic may be in his prime at the age of 37, but he’s still going strong as he sits at No. 61 in the rankings.
While Cilic clearly has more experience in all types of conditions (including hard indoor courts), Tien’s early return is very encouraging this time around. The world No. 23 is 30-7 since the start of the 2023 campaign. Cilic remains dangerous on the fast courts, but Tien will likely find more balls in play again and wear down the veteran if this becomes a longer match.
Select: Merge to 3
(7) Denis Shapovalov vs. (Q) Rafael Jodar
Shapovalov is the defending champion in Dallas, knocking out Taylor Fritz, Tomas Machac, Tommy Paul, and Casper Ruud en route to the title. The 26-year-old Canadian also lifted the trophy in Los Cabos in July, but since then has compiled an 8-10 record. Shapovalov lost to Raphael Collignon 6-4, 6-2 in Brisbane and to Cilic 6-4, 6-3, 6-2 in the Australian Open.
World number 40 on Tuesday is Jodar, who he has never faced. Jodar is 12-1 this season with a Challenger title, a second round appearance in Melbourne as a qualifier, and a successful title in Dallas. The 19-year-old Spaniard also compiled a 2-1 record at the NextGen ATP Finals in December, including a Tien win. This is not a good position for an out-of-form player with a lot of points to defend while facing a young player riding a wave of momentum.
Pick: Jodar at 3
