Janice Tjen becomes first Indonesian to win an Australian Open match in 28 years

MELBOURNE – Janice Tjen called it “special” after she pulled off an upset to become the first Indonesian to win a match at the Australian Open in 28 years on Jan 20.

Unseeded Tjen stunned Canadian 22nd seed Leylah Fernandez 6-2, 7-6 (7-1) to surge into the second round in Melbourne and add to her growing list of milestones.

Tjen, who this time in 2025 was ranked 413rd but is now the world No. 59, is the first Indonesian to win a match at the Slam since Yayuk Basuki in 1998.

“I’m very happy to be a part of history and be able to get a win here for Indonesia,” said the 23-year-old.

“It was special, especially being able to do it in front of my family here and there were a lot of Indonesians, and my close friends are also here.”

Asked by AFP how her life had changed off court since a breakthrough 2025, she said: “I get recognised a little bit here and there and I think it’s nice, it’s a nice feeling to be recognised.”

In front of the vocal Indonesia fans, Tjen made a lightning start, sealing the first set in 36 minutes to leave her higher-ranked opponent from Canada reeling.

She seized an early break in the second set to put 2021 US Open runner-up Fernandez immediately on the back foot. The fourth game of the second set threatened to be pivotal, Tjen digging herself out of a hole on her own serve to hold and go 3-1 up.

The 23-year-old Fernandez fought back, reeling off three games in a row to turn the tide.

The battling duo headed into a tiebreak, where Tjen powered into a 3-0 lead and never looked back, letting out a mighty roar when victory was confirmed. She will next face Czech former world No. 1 Karolina Pliskova.

Tjen’s career took off in 2025.

She pulled off another surprise in upsetting Russian 24th seed Veronika Kudermetova as a qualifier at the US Open. In New York she was the first Indonesian to play in the main singles draw of a Grand Slam since 2004.

The Jakarta native lifted the title in Chennai in 2025 – the first Indonesian to win a WTA Tour singles crown since Angelique Widjaja in 2002.

Reflecting on the support in Melbourne of Indonesia fans waving their red and white flag and chanting, Tjen said: “It’s something special and feels a little bit like home. Knowing that a lot of Indonesians came out to support me today means a lot.”

Shortly after, Naomi Osaka emerged for her first-round encounter holding a white parasol and wearing a matching wide-brimmed hat and gauzy veil. The 28-year-old former world No. 1 from Japan is well known for her on-and off-court fashion statements.

She wore her latest outfit as she came out for her night match at centre court, Rod Laver Arena, against Croatia’s Antonia Ruzic – which she won 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 to book a date with Romania’s Sorana Cirstea.

She waved regally to the crowd, and the four-time Grand Slam champion then folded up the parasol and neatly put the hat and veil to the side.

She conducted the pre-match formalities on court wearing part of her pleated outfit on the lower half of her body, but was back to more or less regular tennis kit for the match itself.

When asked about her outfit after her win, she said: “Nike let me design this one. It’s modelled after a jellyfish. I’m so grateful that I get to do the things that I love. It’s really beautiful.”

“There’s a butterfly on the hat. There’s a butterfly on the umbrella too. It has to do with the Australian Open I won in 2021, which I guess is a long time ago,” she added.

In other matches, a jittery Madison Keys got the defence of her Australian crown off to a stuttering start, losing the first four games before rallying to stay in the title hunt.

The American ninth seed was a bundle of nerves on Rod Laver Arena, but calmed down to clinch a 7-6 (8-6), 6-1 win over Ukraine’s Oleksandra Oliynykova. It earned her a second-round tie against compatriot Ashlyn Krueger.

Fifth seed Elena Rybakina sent Slovenia’s Kaja Juvan packing 6-4, 6-3 with her serve a potent weapon.

The Kazakh star won 83 per cent of her first-serve points to keep up her record of safely negotiating the first hurdle at every Grand Slam since the 2022 US Open. She will face Russian-born Frenchwoman Varvara Gracheva next. AFP, REUTERS