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.