1st seed Janice Tjen (INA, 75) capped her 1st full season on the WTA Tour with a runner-up finish at the 2026 WTA 250 Chennai Open at the SDAT Tennis Stadium, falling to 3rd seed Magda Linette (POL, 68) 7-5, 1-6, 4-6 in a 2-hour, 52-minute singles final that was postponed from Sunday night to Monday due to Diwali fireworks smog and hazardous air quality in Chennai. Speaking to reporters alongside her coach Chris Bint after the trophy presentation, the 24-year-old Indonesian opened up about Sunday evening’s courtside consultation with Linette and the WTA supervisor, why moving the championship match to Monday protected both players and fans in Chennai, and where the 3-set final slipped away.
After rain delays and extended Diwali night fireworks sent the Air Quality Index (AQI) around Nungambakkam into hazardous territory on Sunday evening, Janice Tjen (INA, 75) and Magda Linette (POL, 68) held a courtside discussion with the WTA supervisor and medical staff before the final was shifted to Monday. Both finalists were aligned that competing in Sunday night’s thick smog was unhealthy for players, staff, and spectators alike.
“I think me and Magda had the same way of thinking: it is better for us to play today instead of last night, because at the end of the day, it is not healthy for any of us — not just for us, even for people who want to be out there, I think it is just not healthy.”
On Sunday Night’s Diwali Fireworks, Hazardous Air Quality in Chennai, and Postponing the Final to Monday
Janice, if you are comfortable telling us, what was the discussion last evening? Because we were there courtside, and you and Magda and the WTA supervisor and a medical expert or physio were involved in a lengthy discussion about the match. Can you reveal what happened and what the discussion was about?
Janice Tjen (INA, 75)No, it was just a discussion about the air quality, and yeah, that is all.
And how difficult was it for you mentally, because you come preparing for the final to be held on a particular day, and due to circumstances in Chennai it gets postponed to the next day?
Janice Tjen (INA, 75)I mean, I think we are all in the same boat — we are just trying to do our best and be in the best possible situation. I think me and Magda had the same way of thinking: it is better for us to play today instead of last night, because at the end of the day, it is not healthy for any of us — not just for us, even for people who want to be out there, I think it is just not healthy.
Janice, before that you had said that you were prepared to play here in India and you were told in advance that the conditions were going to be like this with the fireworks and everything. Were you ready for Sunday’s final with the rain and the extended fireworks — were you prepared for such a match yesterday?
Janice Tjen (INA, 75)Yeah, I have to be prepared. Yesterday I was coming to the courts having the intention that I am going to play a final — I was excited for it and everything. If we have to play, then we have to play, and I think for Magda it was the same thing — we both had to stay on the same page.
Your coach put up a story — we all saw it — saying that they still wanted the match to go ahead despite the smog and the AQI being at a hazardous level. Can you clear the air or elaborate on that?
Janice Tjen (INA, 75)You can ask him! (Smiles and gestures to coach Chris Bint)
Chris Bint (Coach of Janice Tjen)Firstly, I think they tried to do a great job in getting it played at the right time, and obviously everyone was prepared to play yesterday — players and staff. Maybe it could have just been postponed a little bit earlier on. Obviously the supervisor then made the decision that the air quality was not good enough, so we came back here today. It was not anything like that — it just maybe could have been done a little bit sooner, that was all.
After Janice Tjen (INA, 75) won 100% (6/6) of her service games without facing a single break point to claim the 65-minute 1st set 7-5, Magda Linette (POL, 68) broke in Tjen’s opening service game of Set 2 to surge ahead 3-0 as Tjen’s 2nd-serve points won dipped from 58% (7/12) to 27% (3/11). In the 62-minute deciding 3rd set, Tjen trailed 1-3 before converting her 6th break point in a 16-point 6th game to level at 3-3, only for Linette to break immediately back for 4-3 and close out the championship 5-7, 6-1, 6-4.
On Taking the 1st Set 7-5 and How Magda Linette Turned the Tide in Sets 2 and 3
Tough luck today, runner-up this year. How did the match go from your point of view?
Janice Tjen (INA, 75)I think it was such a battle, definitely. It is not easy playing against somebody like Magda — knowing even after I won the 1st set, knowing that it is not like a given, knowing that especially this week she has been coming back from a set down a few times, and yeah, she did it again today. So she played well, and yeah, the result did not go my way.
What do you think changed from the 2nd set onward? Was it due to the fact that your 2nd-serve percentage slightly dipped, or do you think Magda just raised her level to an extent where she took the match away from you?
Janice Tjen (INA, 75)Yeah, I mean, I think I definitely did not start well in the 2nd set, and Magda was playing way better in that 2nd set. Playing with somebody like Magda, if you do not come out the right way, I think she is going to punish you a lot — which is what happened in the 2nd set. And I suddenly am just down a break, and it is not easy when you already got broken in the 1st game of the 2nd set. It definitely gives her a bit more confidence, and she is a great player — you definitely do not want to give her a bit of confidence in that sense.
Janice, what went wrong in the decider? Because obviously you were up in the 1st set, and then you had some glimpses in the 3rd set to level at 3-3, but then you did not get through. What did you feel went wrong in your game in the final set, if you do not mind talking about that?
Janice Tjen (INA, 75)Definitely I would say, at least how I felt out there, was that I did not get rewarded as much from my serve in the 3rd set, definitely. She returned better, and she was putting me in a position where I do not like a bit more, I would say, in that 3rd set. And I mean, it was just a battle and it was just not my day — just 1 of those matches where I feel like it is just a bit of margin and I did not execute as well in those important moments.
On Getting Emotional During the Ceremony, Staying in the WTA Top 100, and Preparing for Grand Slam Main Draws
Hi Janice. You got a bit emotional during the presentation ceremony — like it was a tough year for you. How would you sum up the year? It is your 1st complete tour year, how has it been, and ending the year as a runner-up here in Chennai?
Janice Tjen (INA, 75)Yeah, I feel like sometimes when you look back, I think I need to definitely appreciate more and be proud of what I did this year. I mean, I am still in the top 100 and I will be playing main-draw Slams, and I think that is something that I need to be proud of more. Sometimes I am just too caught up with the results, and it does not feel good when you are not winning that much — it never feels good. Regardless, I feel like coming into this tournament, you can never expect to have a run even though you did well the year before — I think things can change a lot. And I think the fact that I still get to play the final this year, this week, is definitely something that I need to be proud of, and I still deserve to celebrate it.
You have spoken about your year and your expectations. What now from here on — how do you want to become a better tennis player and stay in the top 100?
Janice Tjen (INA, 75)I think definitely the goal is to stay in the top 100 and slowly move up so I can play all the main-draw Slams, right? There is still so much room for me to grow, and hopefully at the end of this year I get to do a longer preseason. There are so many things that me and my coach talk about on what I can be better at — I think in the mental side of things as well, there are so many aspects that I can grow. And to be honest, I think today I have definitely improved in that sense.
| Round | Match | Score | Match Breakdown |
|---|---|---|---|
| F | [3] Magda Linette (POL, 68) d. [1] Janice Tjen (INA, 75) | 5-7, 6-1, 6-4 | Tjen won 100% (6/6) of her Set 1 service games before Linette converted 4/10 break points across Sets 2 and 3 in 2 hours and 52 minutes |
| SF | [1] Janice Tjen (INA, 75) d. Robin Montgomery (USA, 151) | 6-3, 6-4 | Closed out a straight-sets semifinal win over Montgomery to reach the Chennai championship match |
| QF | [1] Janice Tjen (INA, 75) d. Polina Kudermetova (UZB, 93) | 5-7, 6-4, 6-2 | Rallied from a set down to win 12 of the final 18 games against Top 100 opponent Kudermetova |
| R16 | [1] Janice Tjen (INA, 75) d. Joanna Garland (TPE, 196) | 7-6, 6-1 | Edged a tight 1st-set tiebreak before racing through the 2nd set 6-1 |
| R32 | [1] Janice Tjen (INA, 75) d. Katherine Hui (USA, 1067) | 6-1, 6-2 | Dropped just 3 games in her opening-round victory in Chennai |