Alexandra Eala’s road to a career-defining week just got tougher — and that’s exactly how she wants it. The Singapore Tennis Open returns September 21-27 as a newly minted WTA 500 event.

The upgrade drops the Filipino star into the deepest field she has faced on home turf. It brings bigger stakes, bigger names and a bigger stage at OCBC Arena.

Stacked Field Raises the Bar for Eala’s Singapore Return

World No. 3 Jessica Pegula headlines the upgraded draw, bringing 11 career singles titles to Singapore for the first time. She’ll be joined by reigning French Open champion Mirra Andreeva and Amanda Anisimova, giving the field a genuine top-10 depth the tournament lacked in its WTA 250 debut.

Eala won’t be short of familiar rivals either. Singapore Tennis Open 2025 champion Elise Mertens, two-time Grand Slam winner Barbora Krejcikova, Indonesia’s Janice Tjen and China’s Wang Xinyu round out the 28-player draw.

Pegula said she’s excited for her first trip to Singapore. “It’s going to be a cracker of a tournament with how the player field is looking,” she said.

She added that she expects the week to deliver for fans. “I hope everyone will come out and have a great time with us,” Pegula said.

Bigger Venue, Bigger Stakes for Southeast Asian Tennis

The tournament’s move to the larger-capacity OCBC Arena reflects how far it has come in a short time. Organizers expect a noticeably larger crowd than last year.

Qualifying rounds on September 19-20 offer free entry, giving fans an early look at players fighting for the final Main Draw spots. The Main Draw runs the full week, capped by a 16-team doubles field alongside the marquee singles action.

The event also carries a cause-driven backbone. BNP Paribas’ “Points for Change” program converts match points into donations for Daughters of Tomorrow, a charity supporting low-income Singaporean women.

That detail adds another layer of stakes to every point Eala and her rivals fight for this September.