ALEX Eala has given Philippine tennis a star to rally behind.
But long before her rise thrust the sport into the national spotlight, the Philippine Columbian Association (PCA) Open was already helping build its future by giving Filipino players a platform to compete and develop.
Now in its 43rd edition, the country's longest-running tennis open continues that mission with a November 2 to December 13 calendar spanning eight junior, school, collegiate, senior and open categories.
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Presented by Palawan Pawnshop, the tournament will offer more than PHP 1.3 million in prize money across its junior and senior divisions.
For Palawan Pawnshop chief marketing officer Bernard Kaibigan, growing the sport starts with getting more Filipinos involved.
“The main objective is really for Filipinos to, number one, really appreciate tennis first. And then number two, is to let them try tennis. Number three, is really to find the next tennis superstars,” he said.
Eala herself competed in Palawan-sponsored tournaments as a youngster, underscoring the role grassroots competitions can play in developing future stars.
“In some of our tournaments, when Alex Eala was young, she also played in the Palawan tournaments. And we're very proud to see her really soaring high in the tennis industry,” Kaibigan said.
The local pawnshop brand holds more than 200 grassroots training activities and tournaments nationwide annually, according to Kaibigan. The program aims to give players opportunities to compete in their communities before progressing to bigger stages such as the PCA Open.
“For us to be able to sustain the growth of the tennis community, we also need to train tennis players who compete at a higher level,” Kaibigan said.
Building on 'Eala-mania'
Turning the attention generated by Eala into lasting growth will require a steady supply of competition and development opportunities.
Chris Cuarto, PCA Open committee member and Ateneo tennis coach, pointed to the breadth of the domestic calendar, which caters to players from the grassroots level through collegiate and open competition.
“We have age groups that we have to start from eight years old, there's a competition until about 18. Then we have high school events, we have college events, we have the open events,” he said.
“From you being a young player until you get older, programs are in place,” he added.
For Roland Kraut, PCA Open committee member and La Salle tennis coach, growing Philippine tennis will take a collective effort rather than relying on one player or organization.
“It's everybody's support. It's not one-on-one answer. It has to be everybody contributing,” he said, pointing to the role of coaches, tournament organizers, and media in promoting the sport and inspiring younger players.
“It's a combined effort by everybody to hopefully pull us up, nobody pulling down,” he added.
The PCA Open expects more than 1,000 entries this year. Junior competitions begin on November 2, while the men's and women's open divisions run from December 5 to 13.
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