RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - Indonesian rising tennis star Janice Tjen advanced to the second round of the Australian Open on Tuesday, January 20, 2026, defeating 22nd seed Leylah Fernandez 6-2, 7-6(1) in her Grand Slam main draw debut with calm composure and precise play.

Competing in the main draw of a Grand Slam for the first time, Janice started strong. Although Fernandez, the 2021 US Open runner-up, fought back in the second set, Janice held her composure and won the tiebreak to seal a 6-2, 7-6(1) victory,

The match lasted one hour and 43 minutes, with Janice edging out Fernandez with four aces, 17 winners, and converting four of seven break point opportunities, according to the official Australian Open statistics.

In the first set, Fernandez briefly took the lead in a tight opening game, but Janice quickly leveled the score. The Canadian regained advantage in the third game, yet Janice dominated the remainder of the set, winning five consecutive games to close it out.

The second set was more competitive, with both players exchanging leads. Janice led 3-1 before Fernandez fought back to 4-3. Not giving up, Janice pushed the set to a tiebreak by leveling at 6-6 and lost only one point during the tiebreak, ultimately closing the match with a hard-fought win.

Australian Open 2026 marks Janice’s second Grand Slam appearance after the US Open last year, where she progressed from the qualifying rounds to the main draw. In that tournament, she reached the second round by defeating the 24th seed Veronika Kudermetova, before falling to Emma Raducanu.

Beyond singles, Janice will also compete in the doubles event alongside Poland’s Katarzyna Piter. The pair won the WTA 250 Hobart title last week.

Janice and Piter previously captured the WTA 250 Guangzhou doubles trophy in October, marking Janice’s first WTA doubles title, before topping the podium again at WTA 250 Chennai with compatriot Aldila Sutjiadi the following week. ***