The Philippine women’s soft tennis team secured a place in the semifinals of the 20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026 on Friday, September 18, guaranteeing the country a medal in the sport for the first time in 32 years.
The breakthrough came even before the Games officially opened, as the Filipinas finished the group stage with a 2-1 win-loss record.
Led by Bien Zoleta and Christy Sanosa, the Philippine squad advanced to the medal round despite suffering a loss to Chinese-Taipei.
Assistant coach Mike Enriquez welcomed the historic achievement, noting that the semifinal berth already assured the team of at least a bronze medal.
“Assured bronze na tayo kasi semis na. Thanks God, after 32 years may medal na rin tayo sa Asian Games,” said Enriquez.
The Philippines will now face a difficult semifinal assignment against Japan, the reigning Asian Games champion and current world champion in the sport.
“Mabigat na laan pero try naming,” added Enriquez.
The Nationals began their campaign on a winning note against Mongolia before following it up with another victory over Thailand. Their final group-stage match ended in defeat to Chinese-Taipei, but their overall record was enough to send them through to the semifinals.
Zoleta and Princess Catindig provided an early boost against Mongolia after winning their doubles encounter.
Sanosa then carried the momentum into the singles match, securing another victory for the Philippines.
The men’s soft tennis team, however, saw its campaign come to an end in the quarterfinals after losing to the highly favored South Korean squad.
With their semifinal berth secured, the Philippine women’s team now has a chance to add another medal to the country’s campaign in Aichi-Nagoya.