Tian Fangran

Raised in Beijing, Tian went to high school at Capital Normal University (CNU)'s Yuxin School.^[1] She played on the ITF Junior Circuit from 2017 to 2020, winning two Grade 5 singles titles and two Grade 4 doubles titles, and reaching a peak junior ranking of No. 121.^[2] She twice won wildcards into junior Grand Slam main draws in singles, at the 2019 French Open and the 2020 Australian Open.^[2]

Tian started playing on the ITF World Tour in February 2019 at the age of 15.^[3] Over three weeks from October to November 2021, she partnered with Back Da-yeon to win two doubles titles and reach a third final at consecutive W15 events in Antalya, Turkey.^[3] She reached the final of the singles draw in one of the weeks in Antalya.^[4] In November 2022, she won the W15 singles event in Champaign, Illinois, without dropping a set.^[5]

Tian committed to the women's tennis program at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in 2022. Over the 2022/23 collegiate season, Tian rose from a relatively unheralded recruit to the team's No.1 single's spot. She finished the regular season undefeated with a 15-0 record.^[6][7] She was named the Pac-12 Conference's Freshman/Newcomer of the Year in tennis.^[8] Seeded No. 9–16 in singles at the 2023 NCAA Championships, Tian proceeded to win the title, UCLA's first individual title since Keri Phebus in 1995, without conceding a single set. Her run included a semifinal rivalry victory against USC's Maddy Sieg. In the final, Tian beat Oklahoma senior Layne Sleeth 6–4, 6–2.^[9][10] She was named Rookie of the Year by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA).^[11]

In 2023, she received a wildcard for the China Open, losing to Linda Nosková in the first round.^[12]