Alex Eala Claims Her First WTA Title in Washington

Alex Eala won her first WTA Tour singles title on August 3, beating top seed Jessica Pegula 4-6, 6-4, 6-0 in the final of the Mubadala DC Open in Washington, D.C. The 21-year-old became the first tennis player from the Philippines to win a title at this level.

A Final Delayed by Rain

The match did not go the way the schedule promised. Originally scheduled to begin on Monday at 12 a.m., the championship match was pushed back to around 3 a.m. due to scattered thunderstorms. Eala and Pegula managed to complete the opening set and the first three games of the second set before rain once again forced play to stop, and the final was suspended, with play set to resume later that day local time.

The Comeback

Pegula, the tournament’s top seed, took the first set 6-4. Eala won the second set 6-4 and closed out the third 6-0, in front of a crowd made up largely of Filipino fans.

The Road to the Final

Eala reached her first WTA 500 final by beating defending champion Leylah Fernandez, second seed Elina Svitolina, and third seed Naomi Osaka. The win over Svitolina in the quarterfinals marked her sixth win over a Top 10 opponent this season.

Monday’s win was also a measure of revenge. Pegula had won their only previous meeting, at the Miami Open in 2025.

The Canadian Open Is Next

Eala is expected to crack the WTA top 20 and will look to sustain her form at the WTA 1000 Canadian Open in Toronto, where she is seeded 25th and has drawn a first round bye.