Citi DC Open 2025: Emilio Nava vs Learner Tien preview, head-to-head, prediction, and pick

Match Details

Fixture: Emilio Nava vs Learner Tien

Date: July 21, 2025

Tournament: Mubadala Citi DC Open

Round: First Round (Round of 64)

Venue: William H.G. Fitzgerald Tennis Centre, Washington, USA

Category: ATP 500

Surface: Hard

Prize Money: $2,396115

Live Telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK – Sky Sports | Canada - TSN

Emilio Nava vs Learner Tien preview

Emilio Nava will begin his campaign at the Mubadala Citi DC Open with his opening-round clash set against compatriot Learner Tien.

Emilio Nava will kick off his Mubadala Citi DC Open campaign with an all-American showdown against Learner Tien in the opening round.

Nava has spent most of this season competing in Challenger tournaments and ATP qualifying draws. However, he made headlines with an impressive one-month stretch earlier in the year. From late March through April, the 23-year-old went on a 19-match winning streak. During that run, he clinched three straight Challenger titles in Asuncion, Concepción, and Sarasota, and finished runner-up in Tallahassee.

Following a promising run at the Los Cabos Open, Nava will enter the North American swing riding high on confidence. He defeated Aleksandar Vukic and Yu Bu before pushing top seed Andrey Rublev to three sets. Nava led by a set and was up a break in the second but ultimately fell in a hard-fought 7-5, 4-6, 3-6 defeat.

Learner Tien, meanwhile, has enjoyed some of his best performances this season on hard courts. He made a breakthrough at the Australian Open in January, stunning Daniil Medvedev on his way to the fourth round. The 18-year-old followed that up with the biggest victory of his career over Alexander Zverev in Acapulco, winning 6-3, 6-4.

However, Tien was unable to carry forward that momentum during the Sunshine Double, suffering first-round exits at the Indian Wells Masters and the Miami Open.

Monday’s encounter with Nava will be his first match on hard courts since March 21.

Emilio Nava vs Learner Tien head-to-head

This is the first meeting between the two players.

Emilio Nava vs Learner Tien odds

(Odds are sourced from BetMGM)

Emilio Nava vs Learner Tien prediction

Emilio Nava has enjoyed a breakout season, but his performance on hard courts has been less convincing. In three tournaments, he clinched just two wins from five matches. In contrast, Learner Tien boasts a solid 65% win rate on the surface.

Nava remains dangerous when his first serve clicks, outperforming Tien in aces and points won on first serve. Across three matches in Los Cabos, he racked up an impressive 31 aces. However, Tien has proven that he can handle powerful servers, claiming victories over Ben Shelton, Alexander Zverev, and Reilly Opelka.

While Tien enters as the favourite, Nava’s current form suggests he won’t go down easily.

Prediction: Learner Tien to win in three sets.

Edited by pranavsethii