Grand Slams are often a tale of young stars emerging on the tennis circuit. Four years back, it was Emma Raducanu who made history by winning the US Open title as a qualifier. While not many knew her before her US Open feat, Raducanu became a household name in tennis after her maiden Grand Slam victory. Fast forward to 2025, and it is her opponent, Janice Tjen, who is looking to emulate Raducanu’s feat. As they go head-to-head against each other, Tjen’s coach, Chris Bint, revealed some rather surprising details about her tennis knowledge.

Earlier in the first round of the US Open, Tjen caused a massive upset by knocking out the 24th seed Veronika Kudermetova in a gritty three-setter. Entering the main draw as a qualifier, the 23-year-old Tjen was too hot to handle for her experienced opponent. Even as she is achieving huge success lately, Tjen wasn’t aware of how all this worked until a few years ago.

During an interview with Ubitennis, Bint said, “She had no idea about how professional tennis worked, how many tournaments count towards her rankings. She wouldn’t be able to tell you now what her ranking is and she’s got no idea about scheduling and how much you should be training and in the gym. She was extremely raw. It’s more about doing the right things day in, day out for the next 52 weeks. Janice has got some amazing personal values and performer attributes, and that was one of the biggest reasons why I decided to take on this role.”

While the win over Kudermetova is a step in the right direction, Tjen has some big challenges ahead. The first among the many would be a meeting against the former US Open champion Raducanu, in the next round. In fact, Raducanu has been a direct source of inspiration for Tjen.“When Emma won the tournament and (was) having 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,” said Tjen.

She continued, “Just seeing her doing it made me inspired to be able to do it, as well. Emma is very big. Everyone loves Emma at home. She’s a very well known player, and I’m just excited for the opportunity.” But even as Tjen’s form looks impressive, Raducanu’s former coach Mark Petchey made a bold prediction about the British star.

Emma Raducanu dubbed for US Open title by former coach

After years of struggle following her Grand Slam win, it looks like Raducanu is finally back on track. She has impressed with her performances of late and even earned praise from her ex-coach Petchey, who believes that Raducanu can win the US Open title again. During an interview, Raducanu’s ex-coach revealed why the Brit looks like a strong contender for the title in New York.

He said, “She’s close, I genuinely think she’s close. I really do. She’s got something that you can’t teach, which is complete courage. She’s an unbelievable athlete. I’d back her in nearly every situation — if she can get sets to four-all — to beat most players. And she loves the big stage. And not everybody does love the big stage. Not everybody goes out there and embraces it. I honestly say this, and I’m not saying this for effect, I honestly think she could win the US Open. I really do.”

However, only time will tell if Raducanu is able to keep the momentum going. Her match against Tjen is scheduled tomorrow on Louis Armstrong Stadium, which can be followed on EssentiallySports’ Live Blog.