A look at the newly-renovated Rizal Memorial Tennis Center in Manila on January 22, 2026. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News
MANILA — The Rizal Memorial Tennis Center will be upgraded in preparation for the country's hosting of a pair of WTA events in 2027, the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) announced.
After a successful staging of the WTA 125 Philippine Women's Open last year, the country is again set to hold the event in January 2027.
A separate WTA 250 event is scheduled for November 1-7 in Manila, according to the Philippine Tennis Association (PHILTA).
READ: Manila to host WTA 250 tournament on top of WTA 125
"When we host a sports tourism event, we make sure that we upgrade the facilities. And Rizal naman talaga is due for upgrading," PSC Chairman Patrick Gregorio said over the weekend.
"As far as Rizal is concerned, we are ready. We will upgrade. We'll make it better for the 125 and the 250 in Manila," he added.
Gregorio also revealed that other cities have offered to host WTA events.
"Meron yan two cities na gustong mag-host ng WTA 250. Let's see if they will progress in terms of development," the PSC chief said.
There are also plans to build regional hubs for tennis in a bid to boost the sport's grassroots development.
"Kami ni [PHILTA] SecGen John Rey [Tiangco], dahan-dahan, quietly, we're traveling all over the country, analyzing kung saan tayo pwede magtayo ng regional training centers. And it's a great move as far as tennis is concerned," Gregorio said.