Historic Achievement for Indonesian Tennis
In a historic moment for Indonesian tennis, Janice Tjen marked a significant achievement by clinching the first singles victory for her country in a Grand Slam tournament in over two decades. This breakthrough occurred at the recent US Open, where she triumphed over the No. 24 seed, Veronika Kudermetova, with a score of 6-4, 4-6, 6-4. Tjen’s victory spanned more than two hours, setting the stage for a highly anticipated second-round clash against Emma Raducanu, the young British player and 2021 US Open champion who has inspired Tjen throughout her career.
Making History
At 23 years old, Tjen has made history not only by winning a singles match but also by being the first Indonesian player to compete in singles at a major tournament since Angelique Widjaja participated in the 2004 US Open. Widjaja remains the last Indonesian to win a match at a Grand Slam, achieving victory at Wimbledon in 2003.
Inspiration from Emma Raducanu
Reflecting on the significance of Raducanu’s win in 2021, Tjen shared, “When Emma won the tournament and had an incredible run here, I was actually in college and I was injured at the time, so I got to watch a lot of tennis. Just seeing her doing it makes me inspired to be able to do it as well.”
Journey to Professional Tennis
Tjen’s tennis journey included competing collegiately at the University of Oregon and then transferring to Pepperdine, where in 2024 she was the NCAA doubles runner-up. After graduating this past spring with a degree in sociology, she pondered her future in professional tennis. With encouragement from her coaches at Pepperdine, she decided to pursue a professional career, initially aiming for a trial period of two years.
Impressive Record and Resilience
Having come into the US Open with an impressive record of 55 wins against 10 losses in 2023, Tjen established herself with a remarkable winning streak of 27 consecutive matches on the ITF circuit from May to July, during which she captured five titles.
Despite facing a momentary setback after losing a lead in the second set, Tjen displayed resilience, concluding her match with a skillful backhand volley that sent her to her knees in celebration near the net.
Looking Ahead
Now, as she approaches her next match against Raducanu, Tjen expressed both excitement and anticipation for the challenge ahead, noting the likelihood of playing in front of a larger crowd due to Raducanu’s popularity.
“It’s going to be a big crowd…I’m just excited for the opportunity,” she said, looking forward to this pivotal moment in her burgeoning career.
