The WTA 125 Philippine Women’s Open is all set and ready to go. But making this prestigious tournament wasn’t easy, to say the least. And on Wednesday, after the WTA 125 Philippine Women’s Open press conference at Lanson Place in Mall of Asia, Philippine Tennis Association (PHILTA) Executive Director Tonette Mendoza shared what transpired behind the scenes to bring top-level tennis to the country.
Collective Effort from PHILTA and Government Agencies
Mendoza told reporters that when PHILTA first applied to host a WTA event, they were unsure if they could meet the financial requirements needed to bring the best women’s tennis league in the world to the country.
“When we first talked to them in March, we weren’t very sure kase when we saw the requirements, parang hindi namin kaya, especially kung PHILTA lang, because you know we don’t really have a source of money from PSC [Philippine Sports Commission], which has very specific things that we can spend on, which is usually training and competition of our players.”
Both PHILTA and the PSC announced in October 2025 that they were making a bid to host the inaugural WTA 125 Philippine Women’s Open. Needless to say, PHILTA still pushed through with the application despite the initial apprehension. And that gamble paid off.
“But they are very organized, you know. When we made the application form, we listed down everything to at least know how you can earn money and where your money will go, and at least you know at the end of the tournament—lugi ka ba, kumita ka ba, or at least mag break-even ka.”
PHILTA later acknowledged government agencies, apart from the PSC, that made this event possible in the first place: the Department of Tourism, the Department of the Interior and Local Government, the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation, the Department of Public Works and Highways, and the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority.
Alex Eala’s Rise and How It Led to Something Historic
Evidently, PHILTA asked the WTA about hosting the said event in the wake of Alex Eala emerging as a tennis sensation in 2025. Now, what was once unheard of and a seeming pipe dream will turn into reality starting on January 24. And tennis fans in the country are certainly in for a special treat.
Tickets to the WTA 125 Philippine Women’s Open are now available on SM Tickets or in the Rizal Memorial Tennis Center itself.
Now there’s only one way to find out if PHILTA, the PSC, and others were successful in doing all the preparations behind the scenes, and that is to let the fans speak for themselves.
