TICKETS for the Philippine Women’s Open (PWO) tennis tournament sold out just a day after Alexandra Eala confirmed her participation, as local fans rushed to see the country’s top-ranked player compete on home soil.
Organizers said on Thursday that Standard and Premier Passes for the semifinals and final are already sold out, just 24 hours after Eala announced she would play in the WTA 125 event at the Rizal Memorial Tennis Center.
Eala wasted no time upon arriving in Manila, holding her first practice session at the newly renovated venue to familiarize herself with the courts ahead of the tournament.
“I’m looking forward to it and I hope people can show up and support the Pinays,” Eala said upon her arrival. “It’s a huge milestone in Philippine tennis, and I think it’s a big deal for all of us Filipina tennis players,” said Eala,
Eala flew in from Melbourne following her campaign in the 2026 Australian Open, where she made her main-draw debut in both singles and doubles.
The organizing Philippine Tennis Association, with the full backing of the Philippine Sports Commission, granted Eala a wildcard entry.
“It’s been a dream to have a home tournament,” Eala added.. “I’m so happy that it’s going to bring a lot of inspiration for the girls back home.”
The Rizal Memorial Tennis Center now seats around 2,000 spectators after a month-long renovation, nearly triple the typical 700-seat standard for WTA 125 tournaments. For fans unable to get tickets, large LED screens will be installed around the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex.
Tickets for the qualifying rounds on Jan. 24–25 and the main draw from Jan. 26–28 remain available through SM Tickets and at SM ticket outlets nationwide. Limited on-site tickets will also be sold from Jan. 24 to 28. Tickets for Jan. 29, as well as all standard and premier passes for the semifinals and final, are already sold out.
The PWO field will feature several top-ranked international players, led by Eala, who recently climbed to a career-high world ranking of No. 49.
She is one of 24 players in the draw who also competed in the Australian Open. The tournament is headlined by Paris Olympics silver medalist Donna Vekic of Croatia, Germany’s Tatjana Maria, and China’s Wang Xinyu, who defeated Eala in the semifinals of the ASB Classic in New Zealand earlier this month.
Also in the field are Argentina’s Solana Sierra, Japan’s Moyuka Uchijima, New Zealand’s Lulu Sun, and Polina Kudermetova.
Local fans will also get to see home bet Tenny Madis, the Philippines’ second-ranked player, who will compete via a wildcard entry.
