NEW YORK (AP) — Janice Tjen earned the first singles win by an Indonesian player in a Grand Slam tournament in 22 years, advancing to a second-round match against a U.S. Open champion who has been one of her inspirations: Emma Raducanu.
Tjen upset No. 24 seed Veronika Kudermetova 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 on Sunday in 2 hours, 11 minutes. She moved on to face the 2021 U.S. Open winner, who came through the qualifying rounds before winning her title in Flushing Meadows.
That's how the 23-year-old Tjen earned her spot in the field, becoming the first player from Indonesia to play singles in a major tournament since Angelique Widjaja at the 2004 U.S. Open.
“When Emma won the tournament and had an incredible run here, I was actually in college and I was injured at the time, so I got to watch a lot of tennis,” Tjen said. “Just seeing her doing it makes me, like, inspired to be able to do it as well.”
Tjen played at Pepperdine, where she was the NCAA doubles runner-up in 2024. After graduating this past spring with a degree in sociology, she weighed whether to try and play professionally.
“I think during my college years I’m always, like, contemplating if I should go for it; should I not. And I think at the end I decided to try it out and the coaches at Pepperdine told me I think you should give it a try, at least for two years,” Tjen said. “So I trust them, and here I am.”
Tjen came into the tournament 55-10 this year, playing lower-level matches. Then, in the biggest one of her career, she recovered after blowing a 3-1 lead in the second set, finishing the match with a nice backhand volley on match point and dropping to her knees near the net.
Her victory came on the same day that Alexandra Eala became the first woman representing the Philippines to win a Grand Slam match, knocking off No. 14 seed Clara Tauson 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 (13-11).
“Growing up in the same region, we would run into each other a lot in the same tournaments,” Eala said of Tjen. “I haven’t been able to spend a lot of time with her recently. I know she was in college. Now she’s playing pro and doing super well. I’m so happy for her, and it’s nice to see someone that you grew up with in the same — in the biggest stages in the world.”
Tjen gets another try — and likely a much bigger stage against the popular Raducanu — in the next round.
“It’s going to be — well, my first thought is just, like, it’s going to be a big crowd, I would say, a bigger crowd playing against her,” Tjen said. “She’s a very well-known player and I’m just excited for the opportunity.”
AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis
Janice Tjen, of Indonesia, serves to Veronika Kudermetova, of Russia, during the first round of the US Open tennis championships, Sunday, Aug. 24, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
Janice Tjen, of Indonesia, reacts after scoring a point against Veronika Kudermetova, of Russia, during the first round of the US Open tennis championships, Sunday, Aug. 24, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
Janice Tjen, of Indonesia, returns a shot to Veronika Kudermetova, of Russia, during the first round of the US Open tennis championships, Sunday, Aug. 24, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
CONCORD, N.C. (AP) — Kyle Busch died after severe pneumonia progressed into sepsis, resulting in rapid and overwhelming associated complications, according to a statement released by his family.
Dakota Hunter, vice president of Kyle Busch Companies, said in a news release the family received the medical evaluation on Saturday.
Busch, a two-time NASCAR champion, died at 41 on Thursday, a day after passing out in a Chevrolet simulator.
Sepsis is considered a life-threatening medical emergency that occurs when the body has an extreme, overactive response to an infection, causing the immune system to damage its own tissues and organs, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Typically the immune system releases chemicals to fight off pathogens like bacteria, viruses or fungi, but with sepsis the response goes into overdrive. The results can cause widespread inflammation, form microscopic blood clots and make blood vessels leak.
Busch was thought to have had a sinus cold while racing at Watkins Glen on May 10 and radioed in to his team saying that he needed a “shot” from a doctor after the race.
However, he bounced back to win the Trucks Series race at Dover last weekend, and then he finished 17th in the All-Star race on Sunday.
Busch, who was preparing to race Sunday at the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, was testing in the Chevrolet racing simulator in Concord on Wednesday when he became unresponsive and was transported to a hospital in Charlotte, several people familiar with the situation told The Associated Press.
During the emergency call placed late that afternoon, an unidentified caller calmly told the dispatch: “I’ve got an individual that’s (got) shortness of breath, very hot, thinks he’s going to pass out, and is producing a little bit of blood, coughing up some blood.”
The caller said Busch was lying on the bathroom floor inside the complex and told dispatch “he is awake,” according to audio provided by the Cabarrus County Sheriff’s Office. The man then gave directions on where emergency responders should go and asked that they turn off any sirens upon arrival.
NASCAR driver Brad Keselowski said he knew Busch wasn’t feeling well recently.
“Yes, but I won’t go into any specifics," Keselowski said. “But then when he ran the Truck race last week, those (thoughts) were honestly kind of erased in my mind.”
Keselowski said running multiple races on the same weekend can be difficult on a driver's health — but most don't want to miss a race for fear of being replaced.
“There’s no shortage of drivers that would love to take my seat or anybody else’s seat if we weren’t feeling well, and I think every driver feels that pressure,” Keselowski said. “All athletes do. It’s not unique to NASCAR in that sense. We’re all thinking to ourselves, ‘I don’t wanna be replaced.’ ... So you try to power through it the best you can."
Busch won 234 races across NASCAR’s top three series over his two-decade career, more than any driver in history.
All 39 drivers in the field for Sunday’s race will race with a black No. 8 decal on their car to honor Busch.
AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing
An in memoriam photo of former driver Kyle Busch is displayed on the video board of the backstretch at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Friday, May 22, 2026, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Matt Kelley)
FILE - Kyle Busch waits for the start of a NASCAR Xfinity Series auto race Saturday, June 19, 2021, in Lebanon, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey, File)
