Alex Eala wins first WTA title at DC Open, becomes first Filipina to win WTA 500 crown
Alex Eala, 21, defeated Jessica Pegula 4-6, 6-4, 6-0 in the Mubadala DC Open final in Washington to claim her first WTA title. Eala became the first Filipina to win a WTA 500 event, avenging a prior loss to Pegula at the 2025 Miami Open.
Alex Eala, 21, defeated Jessica Pegula 4-6, 6-4, 6-0 in the Mubadala DC Open final in Washington to claim her first WTA title and become the first Filipina to win a WTA 500 event, according to ESPN's reporting.
Eala's three-set victory reversed the result of her most recent meeting with Pegula, a 32-year-old who is the 2024 US Open runner-up. The two players faced off in a semifinal at the 2025 Miami Open, where Pegula won 7-6(3), 5-7, 6-3.
The final match was marked by weather disruptions. An almost three-hour rain delay occurred before the match was postponed fully for the day, then resumed the following day, per ESPN's reporting. Eala closed out the contest with a third-set shutout, winning 6-0 in the final set.
Following her run in Washington, Eala is expected to rise to world No. 20 before competing in the WTA 1000 Toronto Open, where she received a first-round bye, according to ESPN.
The Bottom Line: Eala enters Toronto as a seeded player in a premier event; watch whether she advances deep into the draw or falters against stronger competition. The title stands if Eala sustains the level that carried her past Pegula, or slips back into early-round losses.
Eala's 4-6, 6-4, 6-0 victory over Pegula at the Mubadala DC Open makes her the first Filipino woman to win a WTA 500 title.
Eala enters Toronto as a seeded player in a premier event; watch whether she advances deep into the draw or falters against stronger competition. The title stands if Eala sustains the level that carried her past Pegula, or slips back into early-round losses.
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