January 20, 2026 | 12:54 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesian tennis player Janice Tjen sparked a major upset at Melbourne Park by advancing to the second round of the Australian Open 2026. Competing at the ANZ Arena on Tuesday, January 20, 2026, Tjen stunned the 22nd seed, Canada’s Leylah Fernandez, with a commanding straight-sets victory in their first-round encounter.
Making her debut in the main draw of a Grand Slam, Tjen displayed remarkable composure from the outset. She dominated the opening set, securing it 6-2 with clinical precision. In the second set, Fernandez, who is a former 2021 US Open finalist, mounted a fierce comeback attempt, pushing the match to the limit. However, Tjen remained focused under pressure, ultimately clinching the match with a decisive 7-6(1) tiebreak victory.
The high-stakes battle lasted one hour and 43 minutes. According to official Australian Open statistics, Tjen recorded four aces and 17 winners throughout the match. She proved exceptionally efficient at key moments, converting four of her seven break-point opportunities and narrowly outmaneuvering Fernandez in a grueling series of baseline duels.
The opening set saw Fernandez take an early lead after holding her serve in the first game. While the players traded blows early on, the 23-year-old Jakarta-born athlete soon seized total control of the momentum. After falling behind 1-2, Tjen went on a relentless run, winning five consecutive games to sweep the set and silence the Canadian’s challenge.
The second set proved to be a much tighter affair. Tjen briefly held a 3-1 lead before Fernandez roared back to lead 4-3. The two players remained deadlocked until 6-6, forcing the set into a tiebreak to decide the outcome. In this high-pressure phase, Tjen was nothing short of dominant, conceding only a single point before securing the biggest win of her young career.
The 2026 Australian Open marks Tjen’s second appearance in a Grand Slam main draw, following her impressive run at last year’s US Open. In New York, she similarly reached the second round by defeating the 24th seed, Veronika Kudermetova, before her campaign was eventually ended by Emma Raducanu.
In addition to her singles success, Janice Tjen is also competing in the doubles draw alongside Poland’s Katarzyna Piter. The duo enters Melbourne in high spirits, having recently captured the WTA 250 Hobart title. Tjen’s doubles pedigree has been on a steady rise; she secured her maiden WTA doubles trophy in Guangzhou last October and followed it up with a victory at the WTA 250 Chennai alongside fellow Indonesian Aldila Sutjiadi.
Read: Indonesia Stagnates at 122nd in FIFA Rankings
Click here to get the latest news updates from Tempo on Google News
Janice Tjen Withdraws from Tennis Singles Semifinal at SEA Games 2025
34 hari lalu
Janice Tjen had to withdraw from the 4-6 position in the first set of the semifinals against Thai tennis player Mananchaya Sawangkaew.
Janice Tjen Claims Maiden WTA 250 Title at Chennai Open 2025
2 November 2025
Janice Tjen secured her first WTA singles victory by defeating Australia's Kimberly Birrell, the seventh seed, with a decisive score of 6-4, 6-3.
Indonesia's Janice Tjen Reaches Final of Chennai Open 2025 After Defeating Thailand
2 November 2025
Indonesian tennis player Janice Tjen has moved into the women's singles final of the Chennai Open 2025 after defeating Thai player Lanlana Tararudee.
Janice Tjen Makes History, Rises to No. 80 in WTA Rankings
22 Oktober 2025
Indonesian female tennis player Janice Tjen achieved this milestone after winning the WTA 125 Jinan Open 2025 in China last week.
Indonesian Tennis Player Janice Tjen Wins WTA 125 Jinan Open
19 Oktober 2025
Janice Tjen clinches the WTA 125 Jinan Open 2025 women's singles title after defeating Hungarian tennis player Anna Bondar in the final.
Indonesian Female Tennis Player Janice Tjen Climbs Rankings, Enters World Top 100
7 Oktober 2025
An Indonesian female tennis player, Janice Tjen, has risen in rank and is now included in the top 100 WTA players' list after competing in WTA 125 Suzhou in China.
Janice Tjen Defeats Veronika Kudermetova in Fiery 3-Set US Open Match
26 Agustus 2025
Indonesian star Janice Tjen made history at the US Open, defeating Veronika Kudermetova to earn her nation's first Grand Slam singles win in 22 years.
Tennis Star Janice Tjen Enters U.S. Open Singles Main Draw, First Indonesian in 21 Years
23 Agustus 2025
Indonesian tennis player Janice Tjen defeated Japanese player Aoi Ito in the final qualifying round of the US Open 2025 on Friday night, August 22, 2025.
Indonesian Tennis Star Janice Tjen Nears First Grand Slam Main Draw in 20 Years
22 Agustus 2025
Indonesian tennis star Janice Tjen advances to the US Open 2025 final qualifying round, one win away from a historic Grand Slam debut.
Indonesian Janice Tjen Makes Grand Slam Debut at US Open 2025
20 Agustus 2025
Janice Tjen defeated the 22nd-seeded home player Varvara Lepchenko and advanced to the second round of the US Open 2025 qualifiers.
