Janice Tjen Reaches the Second Round of a Grand Slam Again

Melbourne, Tuesday - Competing in a Grand Slam event for the second time, Janice Tjen advanced to the second round for the second time. The Indonesian female tennis player achieved this after defeating the 22nd seed, Leylah Fernandez, in the first round of the Australian Open.

Janice won with a score of 6-2, 7-6 (1) in the early session match at ANZ Arena, Melbourne Park, on Monday (20/1/2026). In the second round, the 23-year-old athlete will face senior player Karolina Pliskova, who has experienced the finals of Grand Slam tournaments. The 33-year-old Czech player is a finalist of the 2016 US Open and 2021 Wimbledon, having defeated American player Sloane Stephens in the first round.

The victory over Fernandez, the 2021 US Open finalist, makes Janice the first Indonesian tennis player to advance to the second round of the Australian Open since 1998. In 1998, Yayuk Basuki reached the fourth round before being defeated by Martina Hingis with a double bagel, 6-0, 6-0.

"I am very happy to be a part of history and to win here for Indonesia. This is very special, especially since I could do it in front of my family and friends. It feels like many Indonesians were watching the match earlier," commented Janice on the official WTA website.

The match against Pliskova marked the second round for Janice, who is still "green" in the professional tennis arena, on the Grand Slam stage. In her first Grand Slam, the 2025 US Open, Janice lost to Emma Raducanu, the player who defeated Fernandez in the final of the 2021 US Open.

However, there is a difference between the two Grand Slams she participated in. At the US Open, Janice competed from the qualifying round. Meanwhile, at the Australian Open, the athlete born in Jakarta was able to compete directly in the main draw. This opportunity was obtained thanks to her ranking within the top 60 in the world leading up to the Australian Open.

Arriving at Melbourne Park with losses in the first round of the WTA 250 Auckland and Hobart, Janice was not affected by those results. Although she made many mistakes, especially in the first set, Janice was able to remain calm.

The 2025 WTA 250 Chennai champion has a low success rate on her first serve in the opening game. She was only able to execute her first serve effectively nine times out of 26 opportunities (35 percent). However, when she successfully placed her first serve, Janice always scored points. The success rate of earning points from her first serve is one hundred percent.

Service, as stated by coach Janice, Chris Bint, is one of the skills that is the focus of training. This English coach aims to improve Janice's success rate in serving.

Janice was also solid in her baseline play, especially from the forehand. Match commentators praised Janice's skills for this factor. With her aggressive forehand, she broke Fernandez's serve twice out of four attempts.

Janice broke Fernandez's serve first in the second set with better first serve accuracy. She did this in the third game to lead 2-1, then 3-1, but her opponent managed to equalize at 3-3.

Janice's break point in the ninth game for a 5-4 lead earned her the serve for the match in the next game. Janice served for the match in the tenth game, but lost it. The set went to a tiebreaker, and Janice won with three winners and five unforced errors from Fernandez.

The shouts of "Indonesia! Indonesia!" from the audience waving the Red and White flag grew increasingly loud as Janice waved to them after winning the match. The atmosphere reminiscent of a sports competition in the homeland is rarely seen in the Grand Slam arena.

In addition to the women's singles, Janice will compete in the women's doubles alongside Polish tennis player, Kataryzna Pietr. Another Indonesian tennis player, Aldila Sutjiadi, will also participate in the women's doubles, partnering with Giuliana Olmos (Mexico). (AFP)