Filipina tennis ace Alex Eala faces Japan's Himeno Sakatsume in the WTA 125 Philippine Women’s Open Round of 16 at the Rizal Memorial Tennis Center in Manila on January 28, 2026. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News/File
MANILA — The Philippine Sports Commission will build more training centers for tennis to help develop more Filipino athletes, in a bid to develop more players who can follow in the footsteps of Alex Eala.
The 21-year-old Eala has risen to No. 18 in the WTA rankings, and recently won the Washington Open. She is set to represent the Philippines in the upcoming Asian Games in Japan.
READ: POC, PSC express support for Alex Eala amid possible WTA sanctions
During the House plenary deliberations on the proposed 2027 budget for the commission, PHILRECA Rep. Presley de Jesus asked how the country can build on Eala's achievements.
"With the new kind of athlete in the person of Alex Eala, ano ba ang pwede natin itulong? Sabi nga nila ang tennis daw sa Pilipinas is pang mayaman, unlike basketball or volleyball," de Jesus said. "Tennis requires 'yung mga equipment, medyo mahal."
"Ano ang nakikita ng Philippine Sports Commission dito sa tennis natin, na ngayon ay talagang sikat na sikat na, at medyo umangat ang ating bansa because of Alex Eala?"
Biliran Rep. Gerardo Espina Jr., the PSC's budget sponsor at the House of Representatives, said the agency will "continue to build regional training centers focusing on tennis and some facilities to help our athletes."
"We will build more training centers for tennis," he added.
De Jesus also suggested investing in sports other than basketball. "Siguro, we can concentrate boxing, tennis and now kahit sana 'yung golf," he said.