Alex Eala’s participation in the 2027 WTA 125 Philippine Women’s Open “remains uncertain”, according to the Philippine Tennis Association (Philta), and her appearance at her home tournament is not entirely in her own hands.

Eala competed at the WTA 125K event in January this year and the tournament will return to Manila next year, but the country’s biggest star could be missing from the 2027 entry list.

Philta Secretary-General John Rey Tiangco remarked on Friday: “At this point, there is no official confirmation whether Alex Eala will participate in the WTA 125 Philippine Women’s Open in January 2027.

“We understand that Alex remains focused on her remaining tournaments this year, and we respect the decisions of Alex and her team regarding her schedule.

“While her participation remains uncertain, should Alex decide to compete, we would certainly welcome her and extend a wildcard entry, subject to tournament rules and approval.”

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This year’s event took place from 26 to 31 January and, with Eala losing in the first round of the Australian Open, she was able to accept a late wildcard entry into her home event.

The Filipina went on to reach the quarter-finals before losing to eventual winner Camila Osorio, but her rise up the rankings could be bad news for those who were hoping to see her in action in 2027.

Should Eala reach the latter stages of the Australian Open, she won’t be able to sign up, but even if she loses early at Melbourne Park, she could still be prevented from playing due to WTA rules.

The 21-year-old currently sits at No 19 in the WTA Rankings and, according to the rulebook, players who are 21 and higher in the rankings can enter and compete in a WTA 125K tournament in the second week of a Grand Slam or mandatory WTA 1000 tournament.

Players who are 11-20 in the rankings at the time of the main draw of the second-tier tournament are not allowed to enter but organisers can offer a wildcard to up to two players who are between 11 and 20.

The statement added: “Philta’s priority is to support the growth of Philippine tennis and provide more opportunities for our local players to compete at the international level,” Tiangco said.

“Hosting a WTA tournament in Manila is already a significant milestone for Philippine tennis. It brings world-class competition closer to Filipino fans and gives our players valuable international exposure.”

But even if Eala doesn’t feature at the WTA 125K event, then Filipinos could still see her in action later in the year as Philta has acquired a license to host a WTA 250 tournament in November, as the Philippines will replace Chennai on the 2027 WTA Tour calendar.