Eric Jed Olivarez is hitting peak form ahead of the highly anticipated inaugural Palawan Open 2026, battling through a grueling qualifying campaign to secure a quarterfinal berth in the M15 Luan Jian An Open in China.

Olivarez displayed immense grit in Lu’an, outlasting ATP-ranked opponents in three consecutive qualifying matches to reach the main draw.

He opened his bid by upsetting Japan’s No. 13 seed Yua Taka, 7-6(5), 7-5, before dominating local favorite Xirui Han, 6-3, 6-4. In the final qualifying round, Olivarez showed superb poise, out-steadying Japanese No. 8 seed Shu Muto in a thrilling 2-6, 6-3, 10-8 showdown.

Carrying that momentum into the tournament proper, the 28-year-old Filipino swept the first four games in the Round of 16 against China’s Xiaofei Wang before the latter retired, setting up a tough quarterfinal showdown with Japan’s Kosuke Ogura on Thursday. More importantly, it served notice of his readiness to not just compete, but strongly contend for the upcoming local crown.

Olivarez’s overseas success adds massive intrigue to the Palawan Open 2026, a P2-million showcase that unwraps on 24 May at the Rizal Memorial Tennis Center. Backed by a hefty prize pool, the tournament represents a monumental leap forward for the local tennis ecosystem.

The men’s singles champion will take home P300,000, with the runner-up pocketing P150,000, and the losing semifinalists receiving P100,000 each. The women’s singles titlist will receive with P100,000.

The blue-ribbon event, presented by the Philippine Sports Commission, Gentry Timepieces and Bagong Pilipinas, features a stacked international cast headlined by India’s top seed Digvijay Singh. Leading the local defense alongside Olivarez is the country’s top-ranked player, Alberto Lim Jr.

Meanwhile, Christopher Papa of the US enters as the fourth seed, followed closely by India’s Aggarwal Parth and local standouts John Benedict Aguilar, Nilo Ledama and Vicente Anasta.