Janice Tjen Eliminated from the 2026 Guadalajara Open Following a Dramatic Match That Went Through Two Separate Tie-Breaks

Indonesian tennis player Janice Tjen was eliminated by United States competitor Sloane Stephens in the second round of the 2026 Guadalajara Open. Janice briefly held a strong position to force a deciding third set, but fell short after Stephens mounted a comeback to close out the second set. 

The matchup between Janice and Stephens was held at the Panamerican Tennis Center, Zapopan, Guadalajara on Wednesday. Stephens is an experienced tour veteran who has held top WTA world rankings and won the 2017 US Open title.

Both players contested a tight battle from the very first point. Neither Janice nor Stephens could force a service break, with both athletes holding all their service games until the score reached 6-6.

Janice built early game leads on multiple occasions, but Stephens always found a response to level the score, sending the opening set to a tie-break.

Stephens seized control of the tie-break by claiming four consecutive points. Janice fought back to tie the breaker at 4-4, before Stephens regained momentum with three straight winning points.

Janice ultimately dropped the first set 6-7 (4-6), leaving the Indonesian player needing to chase the match from the start of the second set.

Stephens took the opening game of the second set for a 1-0 lead. Janice responded with aggressive play however, winning three consecutive games to turn the match around and take a 3-1 advantage.

Momentum swung firmly in Janice's favour as she extended her lead to 5-2. Just one single game away from forcing a third set, Janice stood on the edge of a major comeback.

But Stephens refused to let the match follow Janice's script. She reeled off three straight games to level the set at 5-5.

Pressure shifted back onto Janice when Stephens claimed the 11th game to take a 6-5 lead. Janice kept her tournament hopes alive by holding serve in the following game, locking the set again at 6-6.

A second tie-break would decide the match.

Stephens took the opening point of the breaker and held her advantage despite repeated resistance from Janice. Janice was ultimately unable to reverse the momentum, dropping the second tie-break 3-7.

The 6-7 (4-6), 6-7 (3-7) defeat ends Janice's 2026 Guadalajara Open run at the second round. With both full sets going to tie-breaks, the result showed just how fine the margins of momentum were in this duel against Stephens.

For Janice, this match provided valuable competitive experience against a player with an established elite track record on the WTA Tour.

After holding full control of the second set for long stretches, the contest demonstrated Stephens' ability to survive under heavy pressure and seize back command during the most critical phases of play.