Who is Emma Raducanu's next US Open opponent? Meet Janice Tjen, the Ashleigh Barty-fan from Indonesia wreaking havoc in NYC

Emma Raducanu cruised through her first-round match at the US Open 2025, beating qualifier Ena Shibahara 6-1, 6-2. It marked her first win at the tournament since her title-winning run as a qualifier in 2021. Her second-round opponent, 23-year-old Janice Tjen from Indonesia, is generating the same buzz as she did during her road to victory in New York.

Tjen booked her spot in the main draw of the US Open without dropping a set in the qualifying rounds. She drew 24th seed Veronika Kudermetova in her very first main draw match at a Major. There were quite a few twists and turns throughout the contest but the qualifier remained composed to eke out a 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 win.

Tjen thus not only scored her maiden win at a Major but also became the first player from Indonesia to win a Grand Slam match in 22 years. Her compatriot Angelique Widjaja was the last Indonesian to attain this feat, doing so at the French Open 2003. The public's interest in her has only spiked with her latest achievement, so here's more information about the youngster making waves at the US Open.

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Janice Tjen graduated from Pepperdine University a year ago

Janice Tjen at the US Open 2025. (Photo: Getty)

Janice Tjen was born in the capital of Indonesia, Jakarta, in May 2002. Her foray into tennis wasn't of her own volition. Her good friend, Priska Nughoro, along with Alexandra Eala, convinced her to give the sport a shot. Her parents were supportive of this move, and she has been a part of the tennis world since then.

Tjen initially commenced her undergraduate degree at the University of Oregon in 2020 but switched to Pepperdine after a year. Even though she played tennis during her college years, she wasn't sure of making the transition to the pro tour once she was done with her studies.

However, after Tjen graduated with a degree in sociology last year, her coaches and well-wishers convinced her to take a leap of faith. Her efforts were rewarded handsomely. She was unranked when she embarked on her pro journey after graduating last year. She has since won 13 titles on the ITF circuit, and has also cracked the top 150 of the rankings. This has been possible due to her consistent efforts, along with her style of play, fashioned after a three-time Major champion.

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Janice Tjen considers Ashleigh Barty an idol, and is inspired by Emma Raducanu as well

Emma Raducanu at the US Open 2025. (Photo: Getty)

Many have commented that Janice Tjen plays quite similar to Ashleigh Barty. That is no coincidence, as the young Indonesian considers the former World No. 1 one of her role models. She has meticulously studied the Aussie's tactics, and has now begun to implement tricks from her idol's playbook to outfox her opponents. She confirmed the same during her post-match press conference following her first-round win.

"I would say [she is] my role model. I would watch a little bit of her matches and try to copy what works for me, what's not, and just try to understand her game more, a little bit more," Tjen said.

While Barty had an all-court game, she terrorized the tour with her sliced backhand. That same shot is one of Tjen's biggest weapons at the moment, and she could shake things up once she becomes a mainstay on the WTA Tour.

Tjen will now focus on causing another upset by taking down Emma Raducanu. She's a fan of the Brit as well, and was quite complimentary of her during her press conference.

"When Emma won the tournament and having an incredible run here, I was actually in college and I was actually injured at that time. So I got to watch a lot of tennis, and just seeing her doing it makes me, like inspired me to be able to do it as well. And yeah, Emma is very big, like everyone loves Emma at home," Tjen said.

Tjen and Raducanu's second-round showdown will take place on Wednesday, August 27. The match is likely to be scheduled on one of the main showcourts given the audience's interest in both of them.