HIGHER-RANKED players are expected to flock to the Philippines for the second staging of the Philippine Women’s Open WTA 125 tournament, buoyed by the strong impression left by its debut edition.
The warm hospitality extended by the organizers, coupled with the enthusiastic turnout from local fans, has generated positive buzz within the international tennis community.
Philippine Tennis Association secretary general and Navotas Mayor John Rey Tiangco said preparations are already underway to make the next edition even better.
“I’m sure next year will be a much better WTA 125. We have more time to prepare and more sponsors,” Tiangco said after the tournament concluded on Saturday.
Colombia’s Camila Osorio emerged as the singles champion, while Eudice Chong of Hong Kong and her partner Liang En-shuo of Chinese Taipei captured the doubles title.
Many of the players expected to return are those who will also be competing in the opening week of the 2027 Australian Open, particularly those who may not advance beyond the early rounds of the main draw.
“We have shown them that we are good hosts, with the hospitality and the warm reception from the crowd,” Tiangco said.
Daily matches drew sizable crowds of local tennis enthusiasts, who showed keen interest in watching high-quality contests—not only from crowd favorite Alex Eala, but also from established stars such as Osorio, Donna Vekic, Tatiana Prozorova, Solana Sierra, and Tatjana Maria.
Tiangco noted that the Philippines’ position in the calendar works to the organizers’ advantage, offering players competing in the Asia-Pacific region additional options beyond heading straight to Australia.
For now, Tiangco said the country will continue to host WTA 125-level events, as higher-tier tournaments such as the WTA 1000s, WTA 500s, and WTA 250s have yet to be made available by the WTA.
