NEW YORK — Mirra Andreeva wasted little time making her intentions clear at the 2026 US Open, overpowering Indonesia’s Janice Tjen 6-2, 6-2 on Tuesday to reach the second round at Flushing Meadows.
The No. 5 seed controlled the match from the opening games inside Louis Armstrong Stadium, producing aggressive baseline tennis and a remarkable 17-point winning streak during the contest. The match lasted just 68 minutes.
The victory sends the reigning 2026 French Open champion into the second round for the fourth consecutive year and keeps alive her bid to make a deeper run at the US Open.
Andreeva changes the script
The matchup was particularly interesting because the two players had already met less than two weeks earlier at the Cincinnati Open.
Andreeva won that encounter 6-1, 7-6(5), but Tjen had shown enough variety to make the rematch potentially tricky. This time, however, Andreeva came out with a more aggressive game plan.
She repeatedly attacked Tjen’s unusual slice-heavy style, waited for openings and then redirected the ball with pace and precision. The official US Open account noted that Andreeva won 11 of 14 rallies that lasted more than nine shots, highlighting how effectively she handled the Indonesian’s changes of pace.
Reuters similarly reported that Andreeva deliberately looked to be more aggressive after the Cincinnati meeting, a tactical adjustment that helped her avoid another extended battle.
The decisive moment
The first set quickly slipped away from Tjen.
After breaking early, Andreeva closed the opening set by winning the last 15 points, taking it 6-2.
The second set followed a similar pattern. Andreeva continued to dictate rallies, using her movement and powerful groundstrokes to prevent Tjen from establishing her preferred rhythm.
The fifth seed eventually completed another 6-2 set to close out the match in straight sets.
A tough road ahead for Andreeva
The victory is another reminder of just how quickly Andreeva has developed into one of the leading young players in women’s tennis.
At only 19, she already owns a French Open championship from earlier this season. Her 2026 Grand Slam results have established her as a serious threat at the majors, but New York remains unfinished business.
According to the US Open, Andreeva has now improved to 14-1 in Grand Slam first-round matches. Yet she has never advanced beyond the third round at the US Open, making this year’s tournament an opportunity to change that narrative.
Her next opponent will be Germany’s Eva Lys, ranked No. 98. The two have never played each other, setting up a completely new matchup for Andreeva.
Tjen’s breakthrough tournament ends
For Janice Tjen, the defeat ends an important US Open campaign.
The Indonesian entered the tournament ranked No. 36 in the world and was one of the notable emerging players in the women’s draw. Her back-to-back meetings with one of the sport’s biggest young stars offered another significant test at Grand Slam level.
Despite the loss, Tjen’s recent rise has already put her on the radar of the international tennis community.
Her Cincinnati run had produced a meeting with Andreeva just days before the US Open, and their second encounter in New York showed the level Tjen is now facing as she establishes herself among the world’s leading players.
What comes next?
Andreeva’s immediate objective is clear: get past Lys and finally push beyond the third-round barrier that has limited her previous US Open campaigns.
A potential third-round meeting with No. 30 seed Jelena Ostapenko could await if the draw unfolds as projected. Andreeva defeated Ostapenko earlier this year in Stuttgart after overcoming a 1-4 deficit in the deciding set.
But for now, the message from Louis Armstrong Stadium is unmistakable:
The French Open champion has arrived in New York—and she looks considerably more comfortable this time around.
WWC ONE MEDIA G.A
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