The inaugural Philippine Women’s Open is a historic milestone for the country with far-reaching potential.
Court 6 did not have enough seats for the thousands of Filipino fans who flocked to Melbourne Park to watch Alex Eala at the Australian Open. A long queue snaked around the small court, which has a capacity of just about 1,000 seats, and not everyone was able to get in. But that was hardly going to stop them. The rest set up camp in the nearby zones and created their own watch parties where they cheered loudly—so loud that the noise echoed right into Court 6.
The support extended beyond Melbourne Park, with over 170,000 fans tuning into Eala’s pre-tournament news conference, even eclipsing that of superstar Carlos Alcaraz. Eala ultimately lost her first-round match, but her adoring legion of fans stole the spotlight that week.
Now, Filipinos no longer need to fly to Australia or rely on a livestream to experience world-class tennis. For the first time in history, the Philippines is hosting a Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) 125 tournament—the Philippine Women’s Open—bringing elite competition straight to the heart of Manila.
This is a major moment for the country, and here’s why.
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World-Class Tennis Before Our Eyes
As the Philippines’ first-ever WTA-sanctioned event, the 2026 Philippine Women’s Open is the biggest tennis tournament the country has seen in decades, perhaps since the exhibition match between tennis legends John McEnroe and Björn Borg, which was hosted in the Ninoy Aquino Stadium in Manila in 1989. It’s been a long time coming, but its timing also feels quite fated. Sparked by Alex Eala’s meteoric rise, the sport has been gaining more traction among Filipinos, making this an ideal moment for the country to witness high-caliber tennis firsthand.
A WTA 125 tournament acts as a stepping stone between the lower-tier ITF circuit and the higher-tier WTA Tour. It’s a platform where up-and-coming players can prove themselves, build confidence, and make their way up in the rankings, with singles champions awarded 125 WTA points. There is also a $115,000 prize pool on the line, with 32 singles players competing for it at the Philippine Women’s Open, including the hometown hero herself, Eala.
As a first-of-its-kind event, the Manila tourney can be seen as a testing ground for just how far the sport has come on the local level in the past several years, and a highlight of how much further it could go. Because visibility is the first step to opportunity.
As Eala herself said in the pre-tournament press conference, “I like to think that people are really starting to get into tennis and are really interested in helping the sport and making it grow here.”
In a country where tennis still sees limited investment, this move could serve as a signal that this sport is worth backing—whether that’s through upgrading courts to meet international standards, or bringing in more coaches and developmental camps, or backing more local talent, or hosting even more events like this. And as it stands, it looks like the country is ready for that.
Unsurprisingly, tickets to the Philippine Women’s Open sold out after the Filipina ace bowed out of the Australian Open and confirmed her attendance, showcasing the appetite the Philippines already has.
Redefining What’s Possible
Alex Eala is not the only Filipina competing in the Philippines’ historic first WTA 125 event, which officially kicked off over the weekend. Three others also entered the main draw: 18-year-old and Southeast Asian Games bronze medalist Tenny Madis, University of Santo Tomas player and former UAAP MVP Kaye Ann Emana, and National University talent Elizabeth Abarquez.
The 32-player main draw is also headlined by high-ranked and more experienced players, including Paris Olympics silver medalist Donna Vekic and World No. 42 and tournament first-seed Tatjana Maria. Bringing this level of talent to the Philippines—and having up-and-coming Filipina athletes qualify to compete in the same field—sets an important precedent for any youngster who wants to excel in this sport: that it is possible to reach this level.
Eala has blazed a trail on this front already. She is a shining example of what can be achieved, but bringing a WTA-sanctioned event to the Philippines kicks this message up by a hundred more notches. Through the Philippine Women’s Open, young players will not only get to see elite talent in action; they will also have the opportunity to watch Filipina players go toe-to-toe with highly ranked opponents.
This ultimately helps close a gap for Filipino players. By hosting competitions of this level locally, professional tennis becomes a far more attainable goal. Now, young players can dream not just of playing abroad, but of becoming Philippine Women’s Open champions, making success at home a clearer, more accessible benchmark.
A Historic First Step
Before the Philippines was given the green light to host a WTA 12 tournament, significant upgrades needed to be made to meet certain requirements, and the Philippine Sports Commission sprung into action to make fast-tracked improvements.
The Rizal Memorial Tennis Center was given a significant makeover: courts were resurfaced and repainted, new locker rooms, offices, and holding areas were built, and seating capacity was expanded to fit about 2,000 spectators—more than double the WTA’s requirement for a 125-level competition. In a matter of months, the venue was transformed to meet (and even exceed) international standards.
The work that has been done is meant to go beyond the Philippine Women’s Open. After this historic event, the PSC expressed that the refurbished Rizal Memorial Tennis Center will become a new training center for Filipino tennis players, as they underscored the importance of sustainability in sports.
The hosting of the Philippines’ first-ever WTA-sanctioned event is a historic milestone on its own, and already a dream realized for many. But if executed well, it could act as a jumping off point for bigger things. As PSC Chairman Patrick “Pato” Gregorio expressed during a recent media conference, “Next year, it could be [WTA] 250. By 2028, it might be 500 or 1,000.”
A new training facility, and the potential for more high-level competitions? This single event could set off a chain reaction and open doors for the next generation of talents.
Right now, Alex Eala is the Philippines’ rising star. She is blazing a trail, breaking records, and reaching heights the country has never before seen in a tennis player. But as action in the Philippine Women’s Open gets underway—creating visibility for the sport, setting a new benchmark young athletes can strive for, and proving the country’s capacity to host an internationally recognized competition—it welcomes the possibility that another rising star may be just around the corner.
