The main draw of the inaugural Philippine Women’s Open, a WTA 125 event, begins on January 26 at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Manila. Top Filipina Alex Eala, seeded second and ranked No. 49, faces Russia’s Alina Charaeva in the round of 32 at 7 p.m. on center court. This marks the first time the Philippines hosts a WTA 125 tournament, featuring several local players amid high anticipation.
The Philippine Women’s Open 2026 launches as a landmark event for Philippine tennis, offering the winner 125 WTA ranking points and $15,500 in prize money. Held at the newly refurbished Rizal Memorial Tennis Center, the tournament draws international talent and celebrates homegrown stars like 20-year-old Alex Eala, who left the country at age 12 to train at the Rafael Nadal Academy in Spain. Eala, the first Filipina in the WTA top 50, headlines the action against Alina Charaeva, ranked No. 142, in their second career meeting. Charaeva previously defeated Eala 6-3, 6-3 in an ITF event in Spain in 2020, and holds six ITF titles plus a WTA 125 final appearance in Huzhou, China, last year.
Eala expressed excitement about playing at home for the first time as a professional, eight years after her last local match. “I’m here. I’m home. The fact that I have a tournament to play at home makes me very happy and proud,” she said. Acknowledging the challenge, she added, “Yes, I have met her. She’s a very nice person and a great player. So, I’m just going to go and I’ve done everything I can to do the best of my ability to prepare. So I’m going to go and do my best.” Eala emphasized her match-by-match approach: “Although this is at home, my mindset in that sense is no different. I take it match by match. I’ll do everything I can to win my first one. But if not, it is what it is. That’s really tennis. I mean, you can’t win all the time.”
Three other Filipinas join the main draw: Elizabeth Abarquez faces Japan’s Mai Hontama (No. 244), an Australian Open 2024 veteran; Kaye Ann Emana, a UAAP MVP wildcard, takes on Russia’s Tatiana Prozorova (No. 173), who has seven ITF titles; and Tennielle Madis battles Thailand’s Mananchaya Sawangkaew (No. 197), a WTA 125 finalist in Mumbai last year. Eala highlighted the event’s value for local development: “Before when I was a junior, there were no tournaments at home like this. Fortunately, they’re now exposed to this level and competition. The WTA brings a different vibe because of the professionalism, the experience and the type of players around.”
Adding to the excitement, the Philippine Sports Commission unveiled a mural outside the venue featuring Eala alongside icons like Manny Pacquiao and Hidilyn Diaz. “I feel very flattered, especially being alongside so many great names,” Eala said. “But it’s hard to think about legacy and what legacy I want to leave because I’m only 20. I have a lot of years ahead of me. And I have so much to learn. I just do the best I can and hope that I can inspire people in a positive way.” The tournament, seeded by German Tatjana Maria (No. 42), promises to elevate tennis in the Philippines.