The Philippine tennis renaissance is real. The Philippines will add a WTA 250 event to the 2027 Asian calendar, right after seven consecutive events within the region. Beginning September 30, the WTA will swing through the continent via the China Open, Wuhan Open and Ningbo Open in China, then proceed to the Japan Open and Toray Pan Pacific Open, before returning to China with the Guangzhou Open and Hong Kong Open before coming to Manila. According to Philippine Tennis Association (PHILTA) secretary-general and Navotas City Mayor John Rey Tiangco, there is only one reason for this expansion.
“First of all, we have to thank Alex Eala,” says Tiangco, a former player himself. “We weren’t really given any attention. And we wouldn’t get the crowd or the support if it weren’t for her fame. More people want to play; more people want to watch. This actually started when we hosted the WTA 125.”
The event is on lease for three years from its original holder, part of a program Tiangco helped draft after he was prevailed upon to get involved in tennis by Philippine Olympic Committee president Abraham Tolentino when they were in the House of Representatives together. But unlike the WTA which only had a month and a half preparation, the WTA 250 will have a full calendar year to showcase the Philippines to the world.
Philippine tennis had largely been in the doldrums since the Davis Cup days of Felix Barrientos and Roland So in the 1980’s and early ‘90’s. Since then, there have been multiple political issues within PHILTA, and for a long spell, budget for travel was a concern. This limited players from traveling to important events to gather points in the International Tennis Federation and Women’s Tennis Association. It took the growth of the sport and training centers worldwide to feed a new line of homegrown and Filipino-foreign players to inspire the next generation. Tennis was also the first open sport, allowing the iconic Steffi Graf to win a “Golden Slam” in 1988, completing a Grand Slam and claiming an Olympic gold medal as a pro.
“We’re taking advantage of the opportunity,” explains Tiangco. “We’ve been organizing tournaments and camps all over the company, to identify the next players with the potential to represent the country internationally. We’re not wasting this chance.”
In the next few years, the pipeline will flow the other way for Philippine tennis. Our best players will not come from overseas. They will have access to overseas opportunities because they did well in their own country. What a breakthrough that will be.
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Part 2 of Norman Black’s 45 years of service to Philippine basketball will be featured on “Masters of the Game” today at 5:15 pm over IBC 13 and DWAN 1206 AM.