Story by Miguel Alfonso Caramoan
Seven years after Washington launched Jessica Pegula’s rise into the WTA Tour’s elite, the American found herself on the other side of another career-defining moment as Alex Eala captured her maiden tour title at the Mubadala DC Open.
Eala, 21, became the first Filipina to win a WTA 500 event with her 4-6, 6-4, 6-0 victory over Pegula in Washington D.C. on Monday (early Tuesday morning, PST).
Their previous meeting came during Eala’s breakthrough run at the 2025 Miami Open, when Pegula outlasted the Filipina, 7-6(3), 5-7, 6-3, in a semifinal classic. This time, Eala turned the tables to avenge that defeat on the biggest stage of her career to finally lift her first WTA title.
There was an almost three-hour rain delay to the final on Sunday before it was postponed fully for the day, but the Filipina sensation returned to complete her dream run when play resumed.
“I feel so much love,” Eala said on court after her victory.
“My first chance at a title knowing it won’t be the last, and already having achieved this milestone for my career.
“I knew whatever happened after this match would have already been a win for me.”
Eala dropped to the court with her head in her hands, overcome with emotion. Tears filled her eyes before she rose, embraced Pegula at the net and let out a triumphant scream.
“I was so nervous, and I kind of just blacked out,” Eala said. “Everything just came rushing to me.”
Eala also received congratulations from former eight-division boxing champion Manny Pacquiao, who wrote on social media that her comeback showed the “heart of a Filipino” before calling her “our new champion.”
The players took care of their service games at the start of the first set on Sunday, Eala edging ahead to lead 2-1 after three comfortable holds. The Filipina then applied pressure on Pegula’s serve early in the fourth game, earning her first break point of the match, but the American erased the threat to level the set at 2-2.
Pegula, 32, and Eala then traded breaks before each holding serve — the American having to resist break points before escape to square the ledger at 4-4.
The 2024 US Open runner-up flipped the script in the next game, earning two break points before converting to lead 5-4, and she held serve to claim the first set.
Eala led the second set 2-1 after each held serve, but rain once again interrupted the match — and eventually caused a delay to the following day.
The players’ serving remained on point when they reconvened before Eala, leading 5-4, broke serve to force the winner-takes-all third set.
Carrying that momentum into the decider, the Filipina immediately took control at 3-0 with an early break and consecutive holds.
She never let her foot off the gas, breaking Pegula’s serve once more in the fourth game before consolidating the advantage with another comfortable hold, extending the gap to 5-0.
Eala completed the bagel with one final break of serve to cap off a remarkable comeback and secure the biggest win of her career.
“I want to congratulate Alex on an amazing tournament,” Pegula, the No. 1 seed and world No 3, said.
“To see how far you’ve come over the last couple of years [since] when we first played, to see the amazing fans that follow you every place you go, it’s not fun to play against but I think it’s amazing.”
The victory extended Eala’s winning streak against top-10 opponents to five matches, after victories over Elena Rybakina, Elina Svitolina (twice) and Iga Swiatek.
Eala is expected to rise to No. 20 in the WTA rankings before the start of her debut campaign in the WTA 1000 Toronto Open, for which she has been given a first-round bye.
Originally published @ ESPN
