Pepperdine women’s tennis just added a proven closer at the top of the lineup. The Waves announced the signing of transfer Janice Tjen, an ITA All-American who stormed to the 2021 NCAA Singles semifinals as a freshman at Oregon and finished the year ranked No. 6 in the country. For a program that has lived in the national top tier, this is the kind of move that shifts expectations from “contender” to “favorite.”
What Tjen did at Oregon
Tjen arrived in Eugene from Jakarta, Indonesia, and immediately took over the No. 1 singles spot. She went 22-3 overall and 18-2 in dual matches while facing every team’s best player. Her NCAA Singles run was the headline: four wins over ranked opponents before bowing out to top seed Estela Perez-Somarriba of Miami in the semifinals.
That run wasn’t a soft draw. It went through names most college players only see on highlight reels:
- No. 4 Katerina Jokic (Georgia)
- No. 6 Anna Rogers (NC State)
- No. 19 Georgia Drummy (Duke)
- No. 45 Indianna Spink (Arkansas)
- No. 62 Haley Giavara (California)
By season’s end, Tjen had set an Oregon record with the highest final singles ranking in program history (No. 6). Awards followed: Pac-12 Freshman of the Year and ITA Northwest Region Rookie of the Year. She also became just the third All-American in Oregon women’s tennis history, a rare feat for any first-year player shouldering top-court pressure.
Numbers tell part of the story, but context matters. Most freshmen learn on courts five and six, building confidence before moving up. Tjen jumped straight into the deep end at No. 1 and not only stayed afloat—she controlled matches. That kind of poise is hard to coach and even harder to find in the transfer portal.
Why Pepperdine moved fast—and what it means now
Pepperdine’s staff didn’t hide their excitement. Assistant coach Pete Billingham called Tjen “a top quality player” who can “play a major role in the coming seasons.” The fit is obvious. Pepperdine has spent recent years on the sport’s biggest stages, consistently playing deep into May and stacking West Coast Conference titles. Adding a proven top-line singles threat keeps that window wide open.
What does the roster look like with Tjen in Malibu? Deep, balanced, and tough to game-plan against. She gives the Waves another anchor at the top while easing pressure on everyone else in the order. Matches that turned on tight third sets at courts two and three suddenly tilt Pepperdine’s way when your best player is a near-lock on court one.
There’s also the timing. The one-time transfer rule has made movement more common, but players with Tjen’s resume are still rare. Her arrival alongside fellow newcomer Savannah Broadus adds both punch and depth before the fall individual season and the dual slate that kicks off in January. Expect to see Tjen in the major fall events, sharpening for team play where Pepperdine has real national ambitions.
The stylistic fit works, too. Pepperdine thrives on disciplined baseline patterns, first-strike tennis when the short ball appears, and a fitness base that holds up in three-hour battles. Tjen’s record in tight matches and her ability to close against top-10 opponents suggest she slots right into that identity. And with the program’s track record of developing elite players—think Ashley Lahey and Mayar Sherif—there’s a clear pathway to push her ceiling even higher.
For Pepperdine, this signing isn’t just about one position. It changes the math across the lineup, strengthens doubles options, and raises the daily standard in practice. For Tjen, it’s a chance to compete every day inside a room that expects to play championship tennis. The Waves wanted a star who’s already proven she can win in May. They just got one.