By Marlon Bernardino
The fourth edition of the highly anticipated UTP Elite Eight Playoff fires off from June 4 to 9, 2026, in San Carlos City, Negros Occidental, gathering the country’s finest junior tennis talents in a battle for national supremacy.
Considered the premier event of Unified Tennis Philippines (UTP), the Elite Eight Playoffs serve as the grand culmination of all age-group tournaments staged under the Cebuana Lhuillier Tennis Tour and other UTP-sanctioned events over the past 12 months.
Widely regarded as the most prestigious tournament in the UTP calendar, the event will showcase the Top 4 ranked players from Luzon/NCR and Visayas-Mindanao (VisMin) across eight divisions:
- Boys’ and Girls’ 12 Under
• Boys’ and Girls’ 14 Under
• Boys’ and Girls’ 16 Under
• Boys’ and Girls’ 18 Under
A total of 64 elite junior players — evenly split between Luzon/NCR and VisMin — will compete not only for championship honors but also for coveted spots on the 2026 UTP National Team. The selected players will earn the opportunity to represent the Philippines in an international tournament in Malaysia later this year.
According to UTP President and Cebuana Lhuillier President and CEO Jean Henri Lhuillier, the tournament aims to recognize athletes who have consistently excelled throughout the season while also providing promising young players with valuable international exposure.
“With the Elite Eight Playoffs, we continue to strengthen our commitment to developing world-class Filipino tennis players by giving them opportunities to compete at the highest level,” said Lhuillier.
With the stage set in San Carlos City, fans can expect a week of intense matches and high-level competition as the nation’s brightest young stars chase their dreams of representing the Philippines on the international stage.
