Janice Tjen came from a set down to beat Ukraine's Anhelina Kalinina 2-6, 7-5, 6-4 in the first round of the China Open in Beijing on Wednesday, 30 September. The match lasted 2 hours 41 minutes of playing time, according to the WTA match centre. The score was also reported by TennisTemple.

Tjen was one of the most-searched names in Indonesia on Google Trends on Wednesday morning as fans followed the match. It was her first tournament since a right-wrist injury.

Match summary
Tournament China Open, Beijing (WTA 1000, hard court)
Round First round
Opponent Anhelina Kalinina (Ukraine)
Result Tjen won 2-6, 7-5, 6-4 (2h 41m)
Next No. 11 seed Diana Shnaider (Round of 64)

Sources: WTA match centre, official order of play, official draw.

How the match turned

Kalinina, ranked No. 50, one place below Tjen, took the first set 6-2. The WTA's live scoring showed the match suspended in the second set for several hours on Wednesday; no reason was given. Tjen then edged a tight second set 7-5 and closed out the third 6-4.

Her serve was the difference. According to WTA match statistics, Tjen hit 13 aces to Kalinina's 2, and made 4 double faults to Kalinina's 9. The return games were closer: each player converted 4 break points, Tjen from 13 chances and Kalinina from 16. Tjen won 100 of the 194 points played.

Statistic Tjen Kalinina
Aces 13 2
Double faults 4 9
First serves in 49.5% 60.6%
Break points converted 4/13 4/16
Total points won 100 94

Source: WTA match centre.

The two had never met before. The win makes her return from injury a successful one and sends her into the second round of a WTA 1000 event.

Next: Diana Shnaider

In the round of 64, Tjen faces the No. 11 seed, Diana Shnaider, according to the official draw. Tennis Majors lists the match for 2 October; the WTA had not yet published the order of play at the time of writing.

Back from injury

Beijing marked Tjen's return after a right-wrist injury. It forced her to withdraw from the WTA 500 Singapore Open on 20 September, the Inquirer reported.

Separately, and before the injury, a scheduling clash cost her a place at the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya. The mandatory WTA 1000 event in Beijing overlaps with the end of the Games, and she did not receive an exemption. "After much consideration, I had to make the difficult decision that I cannot compete in this year's Asian Games, which take place at the same time as the mandatory WTA 1000 tournament in Beijing," she wrote on social media on 11 September, ANTARA reported (NDNews translation). She added: "Representing Indonesia on the international stage means a great deal to me."

Indonesia's tennis association, PP Pelti, framed the decision as part of a longer plan. "For Janice, it is actually part of the preparation scheme for the 2028 Olympics," its secretary-general, Andi Fajar Asti, told ANTARA (NDNews translation).

A breakthrough two seasons

Tjen is ranked just inside the world's top 50 and reached a career-high of No. 35 in August 2026, according to her WTA profile. She is coached by Chris Bint.

Her rise has been rapid:

  • 2025: She won her first WTA singles title in Chennai, becoming, in the WTA's words, "the first Indonesian woman in 23 years to win a WTA singles title." She also reached a Tour final in São Paulo.
  • 2025 US Open: She made her Grand Slam main-draw debut and won her first-round match.
  • 2026 US Open: She lost in the first round to fifth seed Mirra Andreeva, 6-2, 6-2 (WTA).
  • 2026 Guadalajara: As fifth seed at the WTA 500 event, she won her opening match beating Dominika Vidmanova 7-6(6), 6-2, ANTARA reported, before losing to Sloane Stephens in the second round, according to her WTA profile.

Where she stands in Indonesian tennis history

The benchmark for Indonesian women's tennis remains Yayuk Basuki. She reached a career-high of No. 19 in singles in October 1997, won six WTA singles titles and reached the Wimbledon quarter-finals that year.

Tjen's career-high of No. 35 is the second-highest by an Indonesian woman. When she played the 2025 US Open, she became the first Indonesian in a Grand Slam singles main draw since Angelique Widjaja in 2004.

What to watch

  1. Her wrist. Beijing is a test of whether she has recovered fully, ahead of the rest of the Asian swing.
  2. Ranking points. WTA 1000 events carry significant points, which matter for seeding at the start of the 2027 season, including the Australian Open.
  3. The 2028 Olympics plan. PP Pelti has linked her schedule to Olympic preparation, so her choice of events will be watched closely.

Live scores are available on the WTA match centre.

This article was researched with AI assistance and reviewed by the NDNews editorial team. It is based on WTA data and media reports as of 30 September 2026. Quotes translated from Indonesian are marked.