Melbourne, Jan 20 (.) Leylah Fernandez and Sloane Stephens made early exits from the 2026 Australian Open after suffering first-round defeats in the women’s singles on Tuesday.
Fernandez, the 22nd seed, was beaten 6-2, 7-6 by Indonesia’s unseeded Janice Tjen in a straight-sets upset. The victory marked only the second Grand Slam win of Tjen’s career and came on her debut appearance at the Australian Open.
The 23-year-old’s win at Stadium Australia set up a second-round meeting with Karolina Plíšková.
Earlier, Plíšková advanced after defeating American Sloane Stephens 7-6, 6-2 at the Show Court Arena. After a tightly contested opening set, the Czech player took control in the second to seal the match.
Janice Tjen and Karolina Plíšková will face each other in the second round on Wednesday.
. VAN .