Key takeaways
- The 2026 Philippines Open Pool Championship is scheduled for October 20-24, 2026, at Gateway Mall in Quezon City, Metro Manila.
- It is a World Nineball Tour Major played in a single-elimination format, so one loss ends a player’s run.
- Spain’s David Alcaide is the defending champion after beating Finland’s Arseni Sevastyanov 13-3 in the 2025 final.
- US fans can follow the event on WNT TV; Manila is 12 hours ahead of US Eastern time, so many matches air overnight in North America.
When is the 2026 Philippines Open pool championship?
The 2026 Philippines Open pool championship runs from October 20 to 24 at Gateway Mall in Quezon City, part of Metro Manila. It is listed as a Major on the World Nineball Tour schedule, the same tier as the US Open Pool Championship, which Francisco Sánchez Ruiz won in a hill-hill final.
Matchroom confirmed the return of the event in July alongside the Roobet Reyes Cup, the Asia-versus-Rest-of-the-World team event that runs October 15-18 at the Makati Coliseum. The back-to-back dates turn the second half of October into a Manila swing, and the tour announced both events together. Efren Reyes summed up the pitch: “The Philippines is the home of pool.”
A prize fund and final field for 2026 had not been published at the time of writing, so treat any figures you see before the official draw with caution.
What format does the Philippines Open use?
The Open keeps the single-elimination format it used in its first edition. There is no losers’ bracket: lose one match and you are out, which makes early rounds dangerous for even the top seeds.
In 2025 the event drew 128 players, with 64 seeded tour pros drawn against 64 unseeded entrants in the opening round. Matches were races to 10 through the quarterfinals, the semifinals were races to 11, and the final was a race to 13. The inaugural purse was $125,000, with $30,000 going to the winner and $12,000 to the runner-up. Organizers say the single-elimination format returns for 2026, but the 2026 money has not been announced.
The defending champion is David Alcaide of Spain, who beat Arseni Sevastyanov 13-3 in the 2025 final for his first Matchroom Major since 2023. The local crowd will be behind Filipino stars such as Carlo Biado, who is expected to play.
How can I watch the Philippines Open in the US?
For viewers in the United States and Canada, the main option is WNT TV, the World Nineball Tour’s subscription streaming service. In 2025, WNT TV carried the main TV table and two more tables, and Matchroom also put one table on its YouTube channel for free. In the Philippines, the event airs on One Sports, One Sports+ and Pilipinas Live.
Timing is the catch. Manila is 12 hours ahead of US Eastern time and 15 hours ahead of Pacific time in late October, so an afternoon session in Quezon City lands in the early morning hours in New York. Fans who want the late rounds live should plan for overnight viewing, or catch the replays the next day.
The Reyes Cup finishes in Makati on October 18, two days before the Open begins. That means many of the players named to both teams, including Rest of the World picks Shane Van Boening and Fedor Gorst, will already be in Manila the week the Open starts. Check the official draw before assuming who is entered.
From the workshop
Single elimination changes how players prepare. There is no second chance through a losers’ bracket, so the first few racks matter more than usual, and most pros want nothing new in their hands that week. Travel matters too. Shafts and wraps that feel perfect at home can feel different in humid tropical air, and that is a big reason touring players carry a cue they know well rather than one they just picked up.
For league and tournament players in North America, the lesson carries over. If you have a big event coming up, settle your playing cue, tip and shaft weeks ahead, not the night before. If you are thinking about a cue built around how you actually stroke the ball, our build-your-own cue page walks through the options.
Quick answers
When is the 2026 Philippines Open pool championship?
The 2026 Philippines Open is scheduled for October 20-24, 2026, at Gateway Mall in Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines.
Who won the 2025 Philippines Open pool championship?
Spain’s David Alcaide won the inaugural 2025 Philippines Open, beating Finland’s Arseni Sevastyanov 13-3 in the final. He returns in 2026 as the defending champion.
How can I watch the Philippines Open in the US?
US and Canadian fans can watch on WNT TV, the World Nineball Tour’s subscription streaming service. Because Manila is 12 hours ahead of US Eastern time, many matches air overnight in North America.
How much did the Philippines Open winner get?
In 2025 the Philippines Open had a $125,000 prize fund, with $30,000 for the champion. The 2026 prize fund had not been announced as of October 1, 2026.
Sources
- Manila Roars Back: The Reyes Cup And Philippines Open Pool Championship Return For 2026 (AZBilliards, 2026-07-13)
- Schedule (World Nineball Tour, 2026-10-01)
- Everything You Need to Know About the Philippines Open Pool Championship 2025 (World Nineball Tour, 2025-09-22)
- David Alcaide Crowned Inaugural LiveSB.io Philippines Open Champion (AZBilliards, 2025-10-25)
- Gorst Eyes Redemption: Fedor Gorst Set For The Roobet Reyes Cup (AZBilliards, 2026-09-30)
Written by the Muraki workshop team in our own words from the reports above. Results and figures are as reported by those sources at the time of publishing. Spot something wrong? Tell us and we will correct it.
Play the game, then build the cue
Every Muraki cue is turned, inlaid and finished by hand in our workshop, then numbered and shipped to players across the US, Canada and worldwide. Tell us how you play and we will quote one for you, usually the same day.
