Tennis has become more popular in the Philippines, as Filipino tennis player Alex Eala’s meteoric rise fuels interest in the sport. But the 20-year-old says tennis is still an inaccessible sport in the country, with most up-to-standard courts requiring memberships.
Speaking to Front Office Sports News, Eala said, “Thankfully, tennis has risen in popularity at home. And everyone comes up to me whenever I go back to Manila and [says], ‘It’s so hard to get courts.’ And that’s a good thing, because when I was younger, the courts were empty. Nobody was playing.”
Access to courts and equipment remains an issue, Eala added. “There are not many public courts, and if there are, they’re not in great shape. They’re mostly in country clubs.”
The tennis player also admitted that despite her influence, making tennis courts more accessible is “out of [her] hands.” She said, “I think there are more people in power who are able to make a difference.”
Following the inaugural Philippine Women’s Open in January, the Philippine Tennis Association (PhilTA) and the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) are in talks to open the Rizal Memorial Tennis Center in Manila to the public. The facility recently underwent refurbishment in preparation for the Philippine Women’s Open.
The PSC previously opened the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex’s track oval to the public from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. daily, and Navotas Mayor and PhilTA Secretary-General John Rey Tiangco aims to mirror this for the tennis center. One Sports reports that Tiangco is also looking to revive the tennis center’s rental scheme. “I also discussed with [PSC] Chairman Pato [Gregorio] if we could manage the courts like before […] Because most of the tennis courts [require a] membership. So, this is what we need, public courts.”
