Jakarta. Indonesian tennis player Janice Tjen will miss the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, as she prioritizes her world ranking and chances of qualifying directly for the 2027 Australian Open.

Andi Fajar, secretary-general of the Indonesian Tennis Association (Pelti), said Janice needs to protect the ranking points she currently holds to remain in a position to secure a place in the Australian Open main draw.

“This is part of the program to ensure Janice can still make it to the Australian Open in Melbourne. She needs to protect the points she has now,” Andi said, as quoted by Antara on Tuesday.

Pelti has discussed Janice’s participation with the International Tennis Federation (ITF) and Women’s Tennis Association (WTA), with talks dating back about a year and continuing into early 2026.

The federation also formally asked the WTA to grant an exemption that would allow Janice to compete at the Asian Games without losing ranking points.

Pelti sought a “zero-point” exemption so that Janice’s ranking would not be affected if she chose to represent Indonesia at the continental multi-sport event. The WTA rejected the request, although it offered possible relief from penalties for missing tournaments.

“The only relief that can be given is for the penalty. So Janice has to protect her points now,” Andi said.

Pelti said it was prepared to pay any penalty resulting from Janice missing the WTA 1000 tournament in Beijing. But Andi stressed that the main concern was not the fine but the potential loss of ranking points.

According to Pelti’s calculations, Janice has about 405 points that she needs to protect through December 2026. Losing those points could cause her ranking to fall and make it harder for her to secure a place in the Australian Open main draw.

Andi said Janice’s situation was different from that of Philippine player Alexandra Eala, who is expected to compete at the Asian Games despite the potential penalty.

Eala accumulated substantial ranking points early and midway through the season, leaving her with a safer position for the Australian Open, according to Andi.

Janice is not the only high-profile player skipping the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. Pelti said several other WTA players are also sitting out the event because of their competition schedules and ranking considerations.

Japan’s Naomi Osaka and Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina, the 2026 US Open champion, are among those who will not compete.

Pelti has coordinated with Indonesia’s Youth and Sports Ministry over Janice’s decision and said the federation is prioritizing her longer-term career, including her chances of competing at future Olympic Games.

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