THE Philippines’ growing sports tennis community is set for a historic treat as the first-ever Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) event in the country is finally taking place in Manila this January 2026.
After a series of successful hosting across basketball, volleyball, and other sports disciplines, it is finally time for tennis to take center stage. The WTA 125 Philippine Women’s Open will mark another milestone for the country’s sports scene as it sets to bring top tennis players in the world to the newly refurbished Rizal Memorial Tennis Center in Manila this upcoming January 26 to 31.
Paving the way for this momentous hosting was the historic rise of Filipina tennis sensation Alex Eala on the world stage. With that in mind, the hometown bet Alex Eala was given a wildcard slot by the WTA.
But the participation of the 20-year-old phenom is still up in the air because of a scheduling conflict. Eala is set to compete in her first WTA main draw tournament this year — the Australian Open, which will start on January 18. It all then boils down to how far Alex’s campaign will go.
With that, the inaugural Philippine Women’s Tennis will feature a star-studded draw of 32 players, spearheaded by 11 of the current WTA’s Top 100 players.
Headlining the list, Tatjana Maria of Germany is set to turn the courts of Manila ablaze. The 38-year-old veteran is the highest-ranked player in the main draw. Not far behind the 2022 Wimbledon semifinalist, China’s Wang Xinyu and Croatia’s Donna Vekic are also the early favorites in the prestigious PH hosting.
Tennielle Madis is also set to banner the country’s pride, alongside Eala. The country’s second-ranked player, Madis, was part of the Philippine team that made waves in the 33rd Southeast Asian Games held in Thailand last December.
After Eala won the country’s first women’s gold in the SEA Games in 26 years, Madis helped the women’s team to clinch the bronze medal in the biennial meet. “My mindset is to do well. No pressure, but rest assured that I’m gonna do my very best,” said the 18-year-old Madis, who also has won six ITF junior titles.
According to Philippine Sports Commission Chairman Patrick “Pato” Gregorio, the Philippine Open will not just be a one-time event. Together with the Philippine Tennis Association (PHILTA), Pato assured the Filipino sports community that the said hosting is just the beginning, with them setting their eyes to bigger plans for the sport locally and internationally.
Meanwhile, PHILTA made sure to keep the tournament ticket prices affordable for the Filipino tennis community to come along and support the event. Based on the initial announcement of the Association, the ticket prices will range from Php 200 to Php 2,000 from the qualifiers to the main draw.
The Philippine Women’s Open will run from January 26 to 31 at the Rizal Memorial Tennis Center in Manila.