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Manila Bulletin devider Sports devider History beckons as Alex Eala, Janice Tjen clash at PH Arena

History beckons as Alex Eala, Janice Tjen clash at PH Arena

Published Aug 28, 2026 02:10 pm
Alex Eala, left, and Janice Tjen of Indonesia (Mubadala D.C. Open)
Alex Eala, left, and Janice Tjen of Indonesia (Mubadala D.C. Open)
A fitting homecoming for the toast of Philippine sports.
Alex Eala battles her fellow Southeast Asian tennis star Janice Tjen of Indonesia in Tatler's “Alex Eala Live: Game. Set. Celebrate.” at the Philippine Arena in Bocaue, Bulacan on Dec. 8.
The 21-year-old Eala is expected to give her Filipino fans an unforgettable experience with an exhibition showdown against Tjen at the world’s largest indoor arena.
The event will also feature local tennis talents and celebrity games.
If things fall into place, it could become one of the biggest tennis spectacles on local soil, with the 99,000-square-meter Philippine Arena capable of accommodating up to 55,000 guests.
It can be remembered that the largest crowd for a tennis game was recorded on Feb. 7, 2020, at the Cape Town Stadium in South Africa, where tennis icons Roger Federer of Switzerland and Rafael Nadal of Spain duked it out in a friendly contest before the 51,954 spectators.
Federer won the “Match in Africa” charity contest over longtime rival Nadal, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3.
“I’ll be playing against Indonesia’s Janice Tjen. Get ready for an unforgettable day of world class tennis and the celebration of national pride, designed to inspire the next generation of Filipino tennis players,” said Eala in her interview with event organizer Tatler.
“I can’t wait to share this moment with you and celebrate our culture together,” she added. “Thank you so much for all the support going into the U.S. Open. Manila, magkita-kita tayo.”
Eala, sporting her career-best world ranking of No. 18, is set for a stern test in the women’s singles event where she is seeded as 17th. She will battle a qualifier in the opening round.

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