Alex Eala Singapore Tennis Open 2026: Tickets and Costs

In January 2025, Alex Eala played the qualifying draw at the Singapore Tennis Open and lost. She never made the main draw.

Twenty months later she comes back to the same tournament seeded sixth, ranked 18 in the world, above the woman who won the title that year. And a session ticket starts at S$8.

That is about PHP 394. Four hundred pesos to sit in a 3,000 seat arena and watch the highest ranked Filipino tennis player who has ever lived.

Alex Eala Singapore Tennis Open 2026 tickets go from genuinely cheap to genuinely expensive, and knowing which session to buy matters more than how much you spend. This guide has the ticket tiers, the flight from Manila, Cebu or Clark, the visa situation for a Philippine passport, where to sleep near the venue, and the whole trip costed in pesos.

Qualifying starts September 19 and the final is September 27. If you are going, you are booking this week.

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Quick answers for Filipino travelers

Do Filipinos need a visa for Singapore? No. Philippine passport holders get 30 days visa free.

Dates? Qualifying September 19 to 20 with free admission. Main draw September 21 to 27, 2026.

Venue? OCBC Arena at The Kallang. Indoor hard court, capacity 3,000.

Ticket prices? S$8 to S$1,230, roughly PHP 394 to PHP 60,650. Sold only through SISTIC.

Is Eala confirmed? Yes, and she is seeded 6.

Flight time from Manila? About 3 hours 40 minutes, direct.

Realistic three night budget? PHP 24,000 to PHP 42,000 per person including flights.

One thing people get wrong: the SG Arrival Card is mandatory and must be submitted within three days of arrival, counting arrival day.

This is not the tournament she played here last time

The 2025 edition ran January 27 to February 2 at the Kallang Tennis Hub. It was a WTA 250 with USD 275,094 in prize money. Eala entered qualifying and went out before the main draw.

The 2026 edition is a WTA 500, the only one in Southeast Asia and one of just 18 worldwide at that tier. Prize money is USD 1,206,446, more than four times what was on offer last time. And Eala is not scrapping through qualifying. She is the sixth seed.

Here is the full seeding order, using rankings as of August 31, 2026:

Mertens is the defending champion, and she is seeded below Eala. Pegula is the same player Eala beat in the final at the Mubadala Citi DC Open in Washington, the win that made her the first Filipino ever to take a WTA Tour title.

The draw is 28 players, which means the top four seeds get first round byes and Eala does not. She plays her opening match on September 21 or 22. That detail decides which session you buy.

One more thing worth knowing. After the final she flies straight to Nagoya for the Asian Games, where tennis runs September 27 to October 3. She is skipping the China Open, a mandatory WTA 1000 in Beijing, to do it. Philippine Tennis Association Secretary General John Rey Tiangco put it plainly: “She really has a tight schedule. In fact, after the US Open, she’s going to Singapore to play in a WTA 500, and right after Singapore, she has to fly to Nagoya… she chose to play for the flag.”

Tickets: what to buy, and the catch nobody mentions

Tickets are sold only through SISTIC, at sistic.com.sg/events/sto2026. There is no other official seller. Prices run from S$8 to S$1,230, so roughly PHP 394 to PHP 60,650 at early September 2026 rates of about PHP 49 to the Singapore dollar.

The catch is in the fine print: a session ticket gives you access only to the court printed on it. Centre Court and Court 1 are sold separately. Court 1 has select matches September 21 to 24. If Eala is scheduled on Court 1 and you hold a Centre Court ticket, you are not getting in to watch her.

Session times, so you can plan around a flight:

A few things that will save you money or grief. Concession tickets are 50 percent off for ages 18 and under, NSF personnel, seniors 60 and above, and persons with disabilities. Booking fees of S$2 to S$6 per ticket sit on top of the listed price. You can buy a maximum of 12 tickets per transaction, which matters if you are organising a barkada.

Three day passes are already sold out as of early September 2026. Seven day passes, single day passes and individual session tickets were still available at the time of writing, but that will not last for the weekend sessions.

My honest advice: if you can only afford one session, buy an early one. She plays her first match on September 21 or 22 and that is close to guaranteed. Buying the final and hoping she gets there is a gamble on a draw that includes Pegula and Andreeva.

Getting to Singapore from the Philippines

This is the easiest international sports trip a Filipino can make. Changi is under four hours away and four airlines fly it.

From Manila (MNL): Cebu Pacific, Philippine Airlines, Scoot and Singapore Airlines all fly direct, several times a day. Flight time is about 3 hours 40 minutes. Return fares in this window typically land between PHP 8,000 and PHP 14,000 if you book six to eight weeks out, with budget carriers dipping lower on off-peak departures.

Check current Manila to Singapore fares for the tournament week:

Compare MNL to SIN fares for September

From Cebu (CEB): Cebu Pacific, Scoot and Singapore Airlines run direct, around 3 hours 30 minutes. Fares are usually a little higher than Manila, though not always, so it is worth checking Cebu to Singapore fares before you assume you need to connect through NAIA.

From Clark (CRK): Fewer options and less frequency, but the route exists and Clark saves northern Luzon travellers the trip into Manila traffic.

Two timing notes. There is no Philippine public holiday in September or October 2026, so this is a normal work week and you will need to file leave. The upside is that fares and hotel rates are not holiday inflated. Check the Philippine public holiday calendar if you are trying to stack this with other travel.

The second note matters more than people expect: the Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix is October 9 to 11, two weeks after the tennis. Hotel rates go vertical for F1 week. Tennis week is clear of it, so do not extend your trip into October unless you want to pay Grand Prix prices.

If you connect through Changi rather than staying, our guide to making the most of a Singapore Airport layover covers what is worth doing inside the terminals.

Visa and entry for Philippine passport holders

Philippine passport holders enter Singapore visa free for 30 days. No application, no fee, no embassy appointment. Singapore is one of the easiest entries on the whole list of visa free Asian countries for a Philippine passport.

That does not mean there is nothing to do before you fly. Per the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority:

• The SG Arrival Card is mandatory. Submit it within three days of arrival, counting the day you land. It is free through the ICA e-Service or the MyICA mobile app. Failing to submit it can get you refused entry, and there are paid look-alike sites that will charge you for something the government does for nothing.
• Your passport needs at least six months validity from the date you arrive.
• Carry proof of onward travel and enough funds. ICA officers can ask for your return ticket and evidence you can support yourself. Have both ready rather than hunting through your email at the counter.
• Expect to give biometrics at clearance, fingerprints and facial capture.

Your permitted stay is whatever the Visit Pass says on arrival, which is not always the full 30 days. Check the stamp or the electronic pass before you leave the airport. Overstaying in Singapore is treated seriously.

Travel insurance is not required for entry, but a torn ligament or a dengue scare in a country with Singaporean medical prices is a bad way to learn its value. See what SafetyWing costs for your trip dates before you book anything else.

Where to stay near OCBC Arena

OCBC Arena sits inside The Kallang, the sports precinct on the east side of the city. Stadium MRT on the Circle Line drops you at the door. Kallang MRT on the East West Line is the other nearby option, a longer walk but often cheaper accommodation around it.

Three areas worth comparing, roughly in order of convenience:

• Kallang and the Stadium area. Walk to the arena, no transfers, no post-session MRT scramble. Expect around S$140 to S$260 a night for a mid range room, about PHP 6,900 to PHP 12,800.
• Lavender and Jalan Besar. Two to four MRT stops out, noticeably cheaper, and full of good, unglamorous food. Hostel bunks from roughly S$35 to S$55, about PHP 1,700 to PHP 2,700.
• Bugis. Central, well connected, easy to reach both the arena and the tourist side of the city. Middle on price.

Skip Orchard unless someone else is paying. It is the most expensive area in the city and it puts you a transfer away from the venue.

Compare places to stay around Kallang and the Sports Hub before the draw is announced on around September 19, because rates in the precinct move once the schedule is public.

For the hostel route specifically, our rundown of the best hostels in Singapore has the properties, though check current rates since that list is a few years old now.

What the trip actually costs in pesos

Three nights, one person, one or two sessions. Rates as of early September 2026, when S$1 was about PHP 49.31.

The realistic middle, for most people who want a decent room and two good sessions, is PHP 24,000 to PHP 42,000. That is a Siargao long weekend with a WTA 500 attached.

Where the budget version gets real: hawker centres. A plate of chicken rice at a hawker centre runs S$5 to S$7, about PHP 250 to PHP 350, and it is better food than most S$30 restaurant meals in the same city. Maxwell, Old Airport Road and Lau Pa Sat are the famous ones. There is a hawker centre near almost every MRT station.

Between sessions, and where the kababayan are

Sessions are at 11am and 6:30pm, which leaves a long gap in the middle of every day. Do not spend it in your room.

Lucky Plaza on Orchard Road is the centre of Filipino life in Singapore. There are roughly 200,000 Filipinos living and working here, historically as domestic workers and now increasingly as nurses, bankers, IT staff and F&B workers. Lucky Plaza is where they remit money, buy Filipino groceries, eat sinigang that tastes like home, and gather on Sundays. Go on a Sunday and the building is packed. It is the cheapest remittance in the city and the best place to buy pasalubong that is not airport chocolate.

Beyond that, the obvious stops are obvious for a reason. Gardens by the Bay is genuinely worth the entry fee, and the Cloud Forest is a welcome escape from the heat. Book Gardens by the Bay tickets in advance rather than queueing, since the afternoon slots fill up. For the wider list, our DIY travel guide to Singapore covers what is worth your time and what is a tourist trap.

Two practical things. Get an eSIM before you fly rather than hunting for a counter at Changi. You will want data to check the daily order of play, which changes every evening and decides whether you are at the arena at 11am or 6:30pm. Grab a Singapore eSIM through Airalo and activate it before boarding.

And the arena is indoor and air conditioned, so the usual Singapore advice about sunscreen and hats does not apply here. Bring a light jacket instead. Singaporean air conditioning is not a joke.

Frequently asked questions

How much are Alex Eala Singapore Tennis Open 2026 tickets?
From S$8 to S$1,230, roughly PHP 394 to PHP 60,650. Sold only through SISTIC at sistic.com.sg/events/sto2026. Concessions are 50 percent off for under 18s, NSF, seniors 60 and above and PWDs, and booking fees of S$2 to S$6 apply per ticket.

What seed is Alex Eala in Singapore?
Sixth, based on her world ranking of 18 as of August 31, 2026. The top four seeds get first round byes, so she plays her opening match on September 21 or 22.

Do Filipinos need a visa to watch the Singapore Tennis Open?
No. Philippine passport holders get 30 days visa free. You still need to submit the free SG Arrival Card within three days of arrival, and your passport needs six months validity.

Which session should I buy if I can only go once?
An early one, September 21 or 22. She is certain to play then. A finals ticket is a bet on her getting through a draw that includes Jessica Pegula, Mirra Andreeva and the defending champion Elise Mertens.

Is qualifying really free?
Yes. Qualifying runs September 19 to 20 with free admission. You will not see Eala there since she is seeded straight into the main draw, but it is free professional tennis in the same venue.

Can I watch her at the Asian Games right after?
Only if you have a Japan visa sorted. She flies to Nagoya for the Asian Games tennis, September 27 to October 3, immediately after Singapore.

Book it this week

The cheapest ticket at this tournament costs less than a large pizza. The most expensive costs more than the flight. Somewhere in between is a seat in a 3,000 capacity arena watching a Filipina who could not get out of qualifying here in January 2025 walk on as the sixth seed.

She will not stay this reachable. The higher she climbs, the more her calendar fills with mandatory WTA 1000s in Beijing, Madrid and Miami, where a ticket costs what a flight to Singapore costs now.

Qualifying starts September 19. Weekend sessions will go first. Book the flight, buy an early session, and go.

About the Author

Bianca Rei is a Filipino traveler, entrepreneur, and problem-solver who has called Serbia home for many years. She has been following Two Monkeys Travel Group since 2014, back when she was simply a reader dreaming, traveling, and collecting stories of her own, so being able to contribute to the blog now feels a little like coming full circle.

Bianca runs Rodi Solutions, where she helps people and businesses navigate life and business in Serbia, alongside website design, development, and management. When she is not working, she is usually traveling, boxing, chasing another adventure, or spending time with her family.

Find her work at rodi.consulting, or get to know her beyond work at biancarei.net.