Alexandra Eala won her first WTA Tour singles title on Monday (3 August), 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 WTA Tour singles title. Ranked No. 28 at the start of the week, she’s projected to break into the world’s top 20 for the first time ahead of the U.S. Open.
The final began on Sunday (2 August) but was suspended by heavy rain and lightning, with Pegula leading 6-4, 1-2. Play resumed at midday on Monday, and Eala took control from there, closing out the match in one hour and 45 minutes.
Eala was clinical behind her first serve, winning 84.4 per cent of those points (38 of 45) to Pegula’s 56.5 per cent. She converted four of her nine break-point chances and won 79 of the 140 points played, despite hitting no aces and three double faults.
“To all my supporters, thank you guys. Especially the Filipino community. Here in DC and back home, whatever you are in the world. I really feel all the love,” Eala said after the match.
“Before the final yesterday, I got so many sweet messages from my family and my friends. I thought to myself, ‘I feel so much love’. Standing here in the middle of all this love, my first chance at a title, knowing it won’t be my last. Already having achieved this feat and this milestone for my career, I knew that whatever would have happened after this match, it would have already been a win for me. Thank you everybody. I really look forward to seeing you guys again.”
Pegula, the 2019 champion in Washington, was chasing a 12th career title and had won their only previous meeting, at the Miami Open in 2025.
Eala reached her first WTA 500 final by knocking out defending champion Leylah Fernandez, second seed Elina Svitolina, and third seed Naomi Osaka.
