Janice Tjen’s Historic Grand Slam Debut: Dominant US Open 2025 Win

New York — Indonesian tennis player Janice Tjen marked a historic milestone in her career. Making her Grand Slam debut in the qualifying rounds of the US Open 2025, she delivered an impressive performance, defeating 22nd seed and home favorite Varvara Lepchenko with a commanding 6-3, 6-1 victory at the USTA Billie Jean King Tennis Center on Tuesday (Aug 19) local time, or Wednesday (Aug 20) WIB.

Janice Tjen makes history for Indonesian tennis

According to WTA Tennis, Tjen became the first Indonesian player to compete in a Grand Slam qualifying draw since Sandy Gumulya at the 2008 Australian Open. More significantly, she is the first to secure a win at this stage since Angelique Widjaja at Roland Garros in 2004.

With this result, Tjen advanced to the second round of qualifying at the US Open 2025, keeping alive her hopes of reaching her first Grand Slam main draw.

Janice Tjen shows dominance on court

Against the experienced Lepchenko, Tjen displayed confidence from the start. Her steady serve and aggressive groundstrokes left her opponent under constant pressure. She closed out the match in straight sets, 6-3, 6-1, as reported by WTA Tennis.

Janice Tjen’s rapid career rise

This achievement adds to Tjen’s remarkable rise over the past 16 months since graduating from Pepperdine University in May 2024. During that span, she has captured 13 ITF titles and compiled a record of 97 wins and 13 losses (WTA Tennis).

Her progress is also reflected in the rankings, climbing to a career-high WTA No. 147 on August 18, 2025, according to her official US Open profile.

Reactions to Janice Tjen’s achievement

Tjen expressed her delight following the historic victory.

“I’m very happy with this win, especially in my Grand Slam debut. This is just the first step, and I want to stay focused for the next matches,” she said (WTA Tennis).

The Indonesian Tennis Association (PELTI) also praised her breakthrough.

“Janice’s victory at the US Open proves that Indonesian tennis has great potential to compete again at the world level. We are proud and hope she continues to advance,” the federation said in a statement quoted by Antara News.

International media likewise highlighted Tjen’s achievement.

“Janice Tjen made an outstanding Grand Slam debut at the US Open. She is the first Indonesian to win in Grand Slam qualifying since Angelique Widjaja at Roland Garros 2004,” reported WTA Tennis.

What Janice Tjen’s breakthrough means for Indonesia

Janice Tjen’s success at the US Open goes beyond her personal milestone. It signals the revival of Indonesia’s presence in world tennis, rekindling hopes last seen during the era of Angelique Widjaja. Her breakthrough not only boosts national pride but also opens the door for future generations of players to dream bigger and aim higher on the global stage.