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Manila Bulletin devider Sports devider Alex Eala craze fuels big ticket sales in Philippine Open

Alex Eala craze fuels big ticket sales in Philippine Open

Published Jan 21, 2026 04:34 pm

At A Glance

  • With Filipinos raring to see Alex Eala in the flesh, tickets for the knockouts rounds of the inaugural Philippine Women's Open have officially sold out as fans anticipate the potential participation of the tennis sensation following her unfortunate exit in the Australian Open Tuesday, Jan. 20.
By CHRISTAN SALVAÑA
Intern
With Filipinos raring to see Alex Eala in the flesh, tickets for the knockouts rounds of the inaugural Philippine Women's Open have officially sold out as fans anticipate the potential participation of the tennis sensation following her unfortunate exit in the Australian Open Tuesday, Jan. 20.
Alexandra Eala of the Philippines waves to her supporters following her first round loss to Alycia Parks of the U.S. at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Monday, Jan. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin))
Alexandra Eala of the Philippines waves to her supporters following her first round loss to Alycia Parks of the U.S. at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Monday, Jan. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin))
Listed as a wildcard in both singles and doubles of the first WTA event in the country, supporters expect the 20-year-old to play at the Rizal Memorial Tennis Center from Jan. 24 to 31.
Organizers announced Wednesday that standard and premium tickets for the semifinals on Jan. 30 and the finals the day after are already sold out, with only the qualifying and main draw passes still available online and limited onsite.
The qualifying matches will run on Jan. 24 and 25, while the main draw is set to take place the rest of the week.
While fans are optimistic to see Eala on the court, the WTA No. 49 is yet to confirm her attendance in the event.
Eala's Australian Open singles main draw appearance came to an abrupt end after losing to American Alycia Parks, 6-0, 3-6, 2-6 on Monday, Jan. 19.
The Filipina then bowed out of the tournament after a doubles loss with partner Brazilian Ingrid Martins to Japan's Shuko Aoyama and Poland's Magda Linette, 6(3)-7, 6-2, 3-6, the following day.
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