2026 UTP Elite Eight Playoffs Kick Off in San Carlos City

In the photo (L-R): Kristoff Carmona, UTP General Manager Jackie Tomacruz,  Vice Mayor Criston Carmona, Juvilyn Barquin and RJ Singson

The fourth edition of the highly anticipated UTP Elite Eight Playoffs is set to take place from June 4 to 9, 2026, in San Carlos City, Negros Occidental.

Considered the flagship event of Unified Tennis Philippines (UTP), the Elite Eight Playoffs serve as the culmination of all age-group tournaments held under the Cebuana Lhuillier Tennis Tour and UTP sanctioned events over a 12-month period. Widely regarded as the most prestigious playoff event in the UTP calendar, the tournament brings together the country’s top-ranked junior tennis players in an intense battle for national supremacy.

The competition will feature the Top 4 players in the UTP rankings from Luzon/NCR and Visayas-Mindanao (VisMin) in the following 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 athletes — 32 from Luzon/NCR and 32 from VisMin will compete for the coveted opportunity to earn a place on the 2026 UTP National Team, which will represent the Philippines in an international tournament in Malaysia later this year.

According to Jean Henri Lhuillier, UTP President and President and CEO of Cebuana Lhuillier, the tournament aims not only to recognize players who have demonstrated consistency and excellence throughout the season, but also to provide deserving athletes with valuable international exposure and opportunities to compete on the global stage.

With the stage now set in San Carlos City, the country’s brightest young tennis talents are ready for a thrilling week of high-level competition as they chase their dreams of representing the Philippines internationally.