Alex Eala tormentor Janice Tjen to compete in PH Women’s Open

Indonesian rising star Janice Tjen has announced her hopes of competing in the upcoming Philippine Tennis Open as she reflects on a career-defining 2025 campaign and her on-court rivalry with Filipino standout Alexandra “Alex” Eala.

Tjen, 23, enjoyed a breakout year on the professional tour after graduating from Pepperdine University and turning pro in mid-2025. 

She rose in the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) rankings with a series of notable performances, including a historic showing at the US Open, where she became the first Indonesian in more than two decades to win a Grand Slam main draw match.

Matches with Alexandra Eala became one of the defining storylines of the year for both players as Southeast Asia’s tennis profile continued to rise.

The two Southeast Asian standouts first encountered each other during their junior careers, contesting several Grade 4 junior events in 2018, with each woman winning on the other’s home turf.

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Here’s Janice Tjen on Alex Eala and her hopes to play in the PH Womens Open, happening Jan. 24-31 at the Rizal Memorial Tennis Courts 🎾

Janice is competing at the Australian Open like Alex, so her chances of joining the Philippine Tennis Open will depend on her AO results. pic.twitter.com/1KV2vtMpD9

— Dyan Castillejo (@DYANCASTILLEJO) December 20, 2025

Their first official professional meeting came at the SP Open in São Paulo in September, where Tjen delivered one of her most impressive performances of the year.

Ranked outside the top 100, Tjen upset Eala, the third seed, 6-4, 6-1 in the quarterfinals, becoming the first Indonesian woman in more than 20 years to reach a WTA Tour semifinal.

In that São Paulo match, Eala raced to an early lead before Tjen reeled off a string of games to seize control of the contest. 

Tjen’s composed baseline play and aggressive shot-making allowed her to fend off Eala’s powerful groundstrokes and launch a sustained comeback, breaking the Filipino’s momentum and closing out the match in straight sets.

Following that clash, Tjen said handling the pressure against a higher-ranked Eala showed how much she had grown as a competitor, while Eala’s loss snapped her seven-match winning streak that included strong results on both the WTA Tour and WTA 125 level earlier in the season.

With her confidence boosted by her 2025 results, Tjen believes playing in Manila could be another step forward in her career as she builds toward more success on the WTA Tour.

The Philippine Tennis Open is scheduled for late January, and organizers are finalizing entries as Tjen and other top Southeast Asian players prepare for the new season.

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