Tjen qualifies for US Open, is 1st Indonesian in a Slam singles main draw in 21 years

NEW YORK (AP) — Indonesia will have its first player in a Grand Slam singles main draw since 2004.

Janice Tjen booked her spot in the U.S. Open field Friday morning, after successfully making it through three rounds of qualifying matches this week. It will be her Grand Slam debut.

“It means a lot to me,” Tjen said about the milestone for Indonesian players. “I try not to think too much about that ... and just try to give my best and be where it's going to take me. But to be able to it again (after) over 20 years, it's amazing.”

The last Indonesian player in a Grand Slam singles main draw was Angelique Widjaja, who played in the 2004 U.S. Open and exited in the first round. Tjen cited Widjaja as one of her inspirations as she was coming up as a player.

The 23-year-old comes off a successful collegiate career at Pepperdine, where she was the NCAA doubles runner-up in 2024. She graduated from college last spring.

“(College tennis) helped me grow as a player and as a person," she said. “Especially mentally, it helped me always give 100%.”

Main draw action starts Sunday, and Tjen's first-round opponent has yet to be determined.

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AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis