Alex Eala’s incredible popularity in tennis this year has revolutionised the WTA Tour – and the Filipina star has been rewarded for it.
Eala has sold tickets all around the globe in the 2026 season, with Filipino communities flocking to her matches in Australia, the Middle East, and the United States.
As a result, the WTA Tour has added another tournament in the Philippines from the 2027 season. Last year saw the WTA 125 Philippine Women’s Open debut in Manila.
In 2027, there will be a WTA Tour 250 event in Manila, which is set to take place from November 1st in the Philippines capital.
However, the schedule could end up being difficult for Eala if she continues her monumental rise on the WTA Tour.
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The tournament takes place one week prior to the WTA Finals, which will take place in Charlotte, North Carolina for the first time in 2027.
Eala came close to qualify or the year-end tournament in 2025, but her decision to not play the China Open in favour of the Asian Games eventually confirmed that she would not be ranked higher enough to play the tournament.
The 21-year-old will be looking to go one step further in 2027, but you can only assume that would mean she does not play the Philippine Women’s Open in November.
Eala’s home tournament will come too late for vital ranking points for the WTA Finals, as the cut off will be before the Philippines tournament begins.
That means Eala will have no reason to play her home tournament, other than to represent and play in front of her supporters.
But that could have a disastrous effect on Eala’s chances of winning the WTA Finals, which would surely be at the forefront of her mind when it comes to scheduling.
While it is excellent that the WTA Tour is cashing in on the popularity of Eala, a little bit of forethought might have been better from the tennis authorities.
Eala clearly has huge goals in the sport, as proven by her record-breaking displays in 2026, and there is every chance she can crack into tennis’ elite in the 2027 season.
Should that happen, Eala has now been given a very difficult decision to make.
The star played the inaugural Philippine Women’s Open in 2025, but she was beaten in the quarterfinals by eventual champion Camila Osorio.
That tournament came during the second week of the Australian Open, so that was another difficult scheduling decision for the Filipina star.
Thankfully for Eala, she was beaten in the first round of the Australian Open by Alycia Parks.
