Filipino tennisters rule as Junior ITF returns to Philippines post-pandemic

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines swept all championships as Junior International Tennis Federation tournaments returned to the country for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic. The hosts locked out all top honors in Week 1 of the competition held at the Manila Polo Club.

Highlighting the Week 1 hostilities were singles champions Miguel Iglupas and Tennielle Madis, who ruled the boys’ and girls’ singles tournament, respectively, in the PHINMA-sponsored competition. 

Previous winners of the juniors competition include Philippine tennis sensation Alex Eala, and bemedalled national athlete Niño Alcantara.

Iglupas and Madis were the stars on Sunday, July 21, as they slayed their respective foes in the championship round. 

Iglupas, for his part, bested compatriot and Wild Card entrant John Benedict Aguilar in the All-Filipino final, 6-2, 6-0, while Madis beat Taipei's Yu Tsen Ko, 6-2, 6-3, to reign supreme among the girls in the category.

Before completing the clean sweep on Sunday, Iglupas and Aguilar teamed up on Saturday to rule the boys’ doubles at the expense of Taiwan’s Hung-Jul Chen and Yu-Hsiang Chuang 7-5, 6-1.

While Madis settled for the runner-up finish in girls’ doubles as she and partner Jana Jelena Nicole Diaz were trumped by fellow Pinays Stefi Marithe Aludo and Kimi Aiyana Brodeth in a three-set thriller, 6-4, 1-6, 10-5.

The Filipino hitters will look to assert dominance anew against the field of international players on their homecourt when Week 2 concludes this weekend.