Janice Tjen's Grand Mission: Top 20 Entry, Chasing Yayuk Basuki's Record

Amidst the increasingly competitive world of tennis, Janice Tjen has emerged as one of Asia's most promising new faces. After an impressive season on this year's WTA tour, the young Indonesian player is now setting her sights on a major goal: breaking into the world's top 20 by the 2026 competition season.

"Hopefully next year I can reach the top 20 or top 30, and definitely play a full WTA calendar," said Janice during a press conference in Jakarta on Saturday, November 15, 2025.

This statement isn't empty optimism. Janice has shown significant development throughout the 2025 season, including her success in winning a WTA singles title – a feat no Indonesian player had achieved in 23 years.

The Rise of New Hope for Indonesian Tennis

Janice's triumph at the Chennai Open earlier this month marked a crucial turning point. She became the first Indonesian player to win a women's singles title since the era of Angelique Widjaja, who last lifted a WTA trophy at the 2002 Pattaya Open.

"I'm proud to be part of Indonesian tennis history. I didn't expect to achieve this. Hopefully, this accomplishment will inspire more Indonesian players to follow in my footsteps and compete at higher levels," said Janice.

At the continental level, this achievement also signals the resurgence of Southeast Asian women's tennis in the WTA, which had been dormant. WTA singles titles from the ASEAN region were previously dominated by Indonesian names from the 2000s like Angelique Widjaja and Wynne Prakusya, before the area lacked players capable of competing at the elite level.

Janice brings this new spirit with her aggressive playing style, quick footwork, and increasingly mature competitive mentality.

Collaboration with Chris Bint and the Consistency Challenge

This season also marked Janice's adaptation milestone with her new coach, Chris Bint. Their partnership is less than a year old, but Janice feels clear progress while acknowledging many technical aspects that need deeper work.

"I believe I can compete with top players, though there are still many areas to improve. Things will definitely get better moving forward," she stated.

In several WTA 250 and WTA 500 tournaments, Janice has shown she can match players ranked between 40th and 70th in the world. Public WTA data indicates that serve consistency and break point conversion rate remain areas she must improve. With a more stable foundation, Janice has the potential to qualify for Grand Slam main draws more frequently – a crucial aspect for accumulating significant ranking points.

Janice also emphasized that mental consistency is key for the long season ahead.

"Keep believing in the work you've done. Even when tired or not winning, stay consistent because hard work will eventually pay off," she said.

US Open: The Grand Stage That Boosted Confidence

Janice made history again by becoming the first Indonesian player to compete in the US Open main draw since Angelique Widjaja in 2004. That moment felt special, not just for the achievement, but also because of her opponent – Emma Raducanu, the 2021 US Open champion.

"There were nerves because my opponent had so many fans, but I still enjoyed playing on such a big stage," said Janice.

Though the result wasn't ideal, that performance proved Janice possesses the complete package to compete on the main stage. Many regional tennis analysts are now calling Janice "the next Southeast Asian breakout player" for the WTA tour in the next two years.

Chasing Yayuk Basuki's Record

The goal of reaching the world's top 20 is no arbitrary number. In Indonesian tennis history, only one player has ever reached that level: Yayuk Basuki, who held the world No. 19 ranking in 1997. For nearly three decades, that record has remained untouched.

Janice doesn't hide her ambition to match or even surpass that achievement.

"You have to be confident. My personal target is indeed to be the best. But with my current exposure, opponents can now access videos and analyze my playing style, so it won't be easy. Hopefully, I can achieve it," she expressed.

This ambition is realistic, considering Janice's age places her squarely in the golden phase of tennis player development. With a full 2026 WTA calendar, opportunities to collect ranking points will be significantly greater than in the 2025 season.

A Bright Future for Indonesian Women's Tennis

Janice Tjen's rise brings a refreshing energy to Indonesian tennis, which had endured years of quiet in the women's singles sector. Beyond her achievements, Janice's presence is reigniting public enthusiasm – something crucial for encouraging regeneration.

If she can maintain this momentum and refine the technical details that have been her homework, it's not impossible for Indonesia to once again have a player among the world's top ranks.

And if that top 20 target is achieved, Janice won't just make new history; she'll pave the way for the next generation to believe Indonesian players can compete on the WTA stage.