DESPITE signing up early for the player listing of the WTA 125 Philippine Tennis Open —a historic first for the country— Alex Eala is still 50-50 on whether she will appear in the event.
The tournament is slated for January 26 to 31, 2026, which falls during the second week of the prestigious Grand Slam Australian Open, where Eala is expected to compete.
AO is from January 18 to February 2.
The only scenario in which Eala would be able to play is if she exits early in the first or second round of the Slam —the first major event of the tennis calendar.
Philippine Tennis Association board member Dyan Castillejo confirmed Eala’s registration, noting that she is the highest-ranked player to sign up so far.
However, the player listing already includes more than 40 names and will remain open until December 28.
A qualifying round will be held on January 24, while the main draw will feature 32 players.
The event will take place at the Rizal Memorial Complex, which will undergo major refurbishments to meet WTA standards.
PhilTA Secretary General Mayor John Rey Tiangco shared that there will be three playing courts alongside two practice courts as the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) and the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA) aim to add a 2,000-seater bleacher.
Renovations will begin on Monday and are expected to last for 45 days.
"If the WTA sees that we can be good hosts, they can give us an extension of the franchise to host a higher-level tournament," Tiangco said on Friday.
Apart from the competition area, a fan service center will also be built.
The said organizations also aim to develop the neighboring areas around Rizal Memorial.
While no specific amount is disclosed yet, PSC Chairman Pato Gregorio is looking to deal around 50 to 70 million pesos for the project.
"Amount is still a work in progress, but this is a long-overdue opportunity to improve Rizal. It would be very reasonable for a world-class facility," he said.
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