The Reyes Cup and the Philippines Open will remain on the international pool calendar in 2026, with both tournaments now featuring on the World Nineball Tour, the organisers told ESPN in confirming the events.
The announcement comes after the successful staging of the inaugural WNT Legends in Manila last month. That three-day showcase featured three-time nine-ball world champion Earl Strickland, two-time world champion Ralf Souquet, and Philippine legends Efren "Bata" Reyes and Django Bustamante.
Matchroom Multi Sport chief executive Emily Frazer told ESPN that the Reyes Cup had been scheduled to facilitate the best availability of fans to watch at the venue.
"We are set for the Reyes Cup being on the 15th to the 18th of October," Frazer told ESPN. "That's a Thursday to Sunday, You know, year one, when we did that, we were mid-week. We feel it works better for ticket sales to run Thursday to Sunday. Those dates are set, however the venue is still to be confirmed."
The Reyes Cup was first announced in April 2024 as a new international nine-ball team event named after the Filipino cue legend. It adopted a format similar to the Mosconi Cup, with teams representing Asia and Europe facing off over four days in singles, doubles, and team matches.
The inaugural Reyes Cup was held at Ninoy Aquino Stadium in Manila in October 2024, with Team Asia defeating Team Europe 11-6. Singapore's Aloysius Yapp was named Most Valuable Player of the event, which featured six-man rosters and drew significant local attention.
The tournament expanded its footprint for the second edition, in 2025, with a "Rest of the World" lineup rather than Europe as the opponents. Staged at Ninoy Aquino Stadium again, Team Asia retained the trophy with an 11-3 victory, and Filipino standout AJ Manas was named Most Valuable Player.
Frazer said she would like to see the 2026 tournament staged at Araneta Coliseum in Manila, as it joins the world tour, but availability would play a key role in the final decision.
"It has, you know, the history behind it," she told ESPN. "The 'Thrilla in Manila,' there's a lot of marketing we can play into. Whilst the Ninoy Aquino Stadium is a great event -- I love the team that operate there -- the design of Araneta really works for us."
The Reyes Cup will be followed by the second Philippines Open, staged from Oct. 20-24.
"I hope it will be at the Gateway 2 Mall," Frazer said. "Having the Legends event there and having the Philippines Open there, you know, it would be madness not to return."
The Philippines Open debuted in 2025, as a Matchroom World Nineball Tour Major, staged at Gateway Mall 2 in Quezon City. The tournament featured a 128-player single-elimination field and a US$125,000 prize pool.
The event attracted a mix of top international stars and local favorites, and Spain's David Alcaide won the final, 13-3, against Arseni Sevastyanov, the Russian-born player who competes under the Finland flag.
The tournament drew packed rails during the knockout rounds, and a steady crowd remained deep into the later sessions; and that reception left a strong impression on the players and World Nineball Tour management.
"The players absolutely loved that event," Frazer said. "They loved the atmosphere, they loved the Filipino fans, and they loved the venue."