Philippines Set to Host WTA 250 in 2027, Philippine Women’s Open to Return
The Philippines is set for a major expansion on the women’s professional tennis calendar in 2027, with the country scheduled to host both a WTA 125 tournament in January and a new WTA 250 event later in the year.
The Philippine Tennis Association (PHILTA) confirmed on October 1 that the Philippine Women’s Open will return as a WTA 125 event in January 2027, while a higher-level WTA 250 tournament is planned for late October or early November as part of the Asian swing.
The development means the Philippines will have two stops on the WTA calendar only a year after staging its first WTA-sanctioned tournament.
“We’re going to have WTA 250 next year, 2027, late October, early November,” PHILTA secretary general John Rey Tiangco said when announcing the plans. According to PHILTA, the WTA approved the country’s application to stage the additional tournament in the final week of September.
Two WTA Events for the Philippines in 2027
The two tournaments are expected to take place at opposite ends of the 2027 season.
The Philippine Women’s Open, a WTA 125 tournament, will return in January. Exact dates have not yet been announced.
The new WTA 250 tournament is then expected to be staged in late October or early November during the WTA’s Asian swing.
As of October 1, PHILTA has not announced the tournament’s official name, exact dates, venue, player field or prize money.
Reports citing tennis journalist Ben Rothenberg have indicated that the WTA 250 is expected to be held in Manila and could take over the calendar position currently occupied by the Chennai Open in India. However, those details have not yet been formally confirmed in the WTA tournament calendar.
The 2026 Chennai Open is scheduled for November 2–8 and carries WTA 250 status, with a 32-player singles draw and total financial commitment of $283,347.
Philippine Women’s Open Set to Return
The Philippines made its WTA debut in January 2026 when the inaugural Philippine Women’s Open was staged at the renovated Rizal Memorial Tennis Center in Manila.
The outdoor hard-court tournament ran from January 26–31 and featured a 32-player singles draw and 16-team doubles draw, with a total financial commitment of $115,000.
Colombia’s Camila Osorio became the tournament’s first singles champion after coming from behind to defeat Croatia’s Donna Vekić 2–6, 6–3, 7–5 in the final.
Home favorite Alexandra Eala entered the tournament as the No. 2 seed and reached the quarterfinals. The event also provided opportunities for several other Filipino players to compete against international opposition on home soil.
PHILTA had already secured a three-year agreement with the WTA for the WTA 125 tournament, making its return in 2027 part of a longer-term effort to establish professional women’s tennis in the country.
A Bigger Place on the WTA Calendar
Adding a WTA 250 represents another significant step for Philippine tennis.
WTA 125 tournaments sit below the main WTA Tour, while a WTA 250 is a full tour-level event and awards 250 ranking points to the singles champion.
The move could therefore bring an even stronger international field to the Philippines and give local fans another opportunity to watch tour-level tennis without travelling overseas.
The expansion also comes during a breakthrough period for Eala. In August 2026, she became the first player from the Philippines to win a WTA Tour singles title, defeating Jessica Pegula in the final of the Mubadala DC Open in Washington.
Eala’s rise has helped bring greater attention to tennis in the Philippines, while the successful staging of the first Philippine Women’s Open showed that the country can host an international WTA event.
Following the 2026 tournament, several players praised the organization of the event, while PHILTA was already discussing the possibility of bringing a higher-category tournament to the country.
What We Know About the Philippines’ 2027 WTA Events
| Tournament | Category | Expected Date | Location | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philippine Women’s Open | WTA 125 | January 2027 | Philippines | Confirmed |
| New Philippines tournament | WTA 250 | Late October / Early November 2027 | Philippines | Confirmed |
The exact dates, venue, prize money, draw sizes and entry lists for both tournaments have not yet been released.
More details are expected as the WTA finalizes its 2027 calendar and PHILTA announces plans for the two events.
For the Philippines, however, one thing is already clear: after hosting its first WTA event in 2026, the country is set to have an even bigger presence on the international women’s tennis calendar in 2027.
