Manila: Filipino tennis sensation Alex Eala clinched her first WTA Tour title by completing a reverse sweep against world No. 3 Jessica Pegula, 4-6, 6-4, 6-0, in the Mubadala DC Open final at the William H.G. FitzGerald Tennis Center in Washington, D.C.
According to Philippines News Agency, the championship match required two days to conclude after inclement weather in the American capital forced a postponement. Eala showcased her prowess in a dominant performance to earn the prestigious title and cement her status as a bona fide WTA Tour champion.
Initially down 4-6 in the first set, Eala led 2-1 in the second set before the rain delay interrupted proceedings. Upon resumption, both Eala and Pegula held their serves until Eala scored a crucial break point to force a deciding set.
The final set saw Eala's commanding performance as she broke Pegula's serve in the second and fourth games, establishing a commanding 5-0 lead. Although Pegula managed to save a break point in the sixth game, her subsequent wide shot handed Eala the championship.
Eala's victory marked a historic achievement as she became the first Southeast Asian player to win a WTA 500 tournament. This victory also marked her third professional title, adding to her two previous WTA 125 titles.
Reflecting on her triumph, the 21-year-old Eala shared on the WTA website, "I think I warmed up a thousand times. It was difficult, I think...at the same time, it's happened to me a lot; rain delays a lot of times in my life. I think this is just kind of another one of those, although it was a lot higher stakes. But I think I was able to take my time and take those learnings from the first half of the match and do my best to apply them in the second, and I think it worked pretty well."
Eala's journey to the final was marked by impressive victories over 2024 Paris Olympics champion Zheng Qinwen of China, defending champion Leylah Fernandez of Canada, No. 3 seed Naomi Osaka of Japan, and No. 2 seed Elina Svitolina of Ukraine.
Eala expressed her surprise at her achievement, saying, "At the beginning of the week, there is no way I would have thought that I would be holding this trophy...These things kind of creep up on you, and I hold these moments really close to me." Her remarkable performance propelled her from No. 28 to No. 20 in the world rankings, earning her a first-round bye in the upcoming WTA 1000 Canadian Open in Ontario, starting on Aug. 6 (PH time).
