Indonesia's Janice Tjen Eyes Potential Clash with Sabalenka at Indian Wells

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - Indonesia’s rising tennis star Janice Tjen could face world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in the third round of the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells, California, as the tournament draw released Wednesday, March 4, 2026, placed both players in the top quarter, Antara reported.

Sabalenka, returning to competition after her Australian Open final appearance, skipped the Middle East swing. In contrast, Janice made significant progress during that stretch, climbing to a career-high No. 36 following her run at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, the second WTA 1000 event of the season.

The 23-year-old Jakarta native began her Middle East campaign at the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open, where she upset Australia’s rising No. 1 Maya Joint in the opening round of the WTA 500 event before falling to fifth seed Liudmila Samsonova. She also reached the doubles semifinals alongside Alexandra Eala of the Philippines.

At the WTA 1000 Doha, Janice defeated Brazil’s Beatriz Haddad Maia before bowing out to top seed Iga Swiatek in the second round. In Dubai, she advanced to the round of 16 with straight-set wins over Dayana Yastremska and Leylah Fernandez, eventually stopped by second seed Amanda Anisimova.

In Indian Wells, Janice opens against Romania’s Jaqueline Cristian, ranked No. 35 -- four places above her. A win would set up a second-round meeting with Maya Joint, who received a first-round bye.

Meanwhile, Sabalenka, a two-time finalist yet to win Indian Wells, awaits the winner of Alycia Parks versus a qualifier in her opening match. For Janice, the BNP Paribas Open marks her third WTA 1000 appearance of the season, continuing a breakthrough trajectory that saw her rise from No. 411 to No. 53 in 2025. ***