Alex Eala beats Jessica Pegula to win Washington title — first WTA singles crown for the Philippines

Alexandra Eala made history in Washington on Monday, coming from a set down to beat top seed Jessica Pegula 4-6 6-4 6-0 in the final of the Mubadala DC Open to become the first player from the Philippines to win a WTA singles title.

The left-hander's crowning moment was delayed as much by the weather as by her opponent. Heavy rain forced the final to be suspended on Sunday night with Pegula leading 6-4 1-2, and when play resumed on Monday Eala trailed 4-3 in the second set. From there she seized control, winning the last nine games and conceding just eight points in a 6-0 deciding set. Eala described the wait as "a crazy 24 hours". "I think I warmed up a thousand times," she said. It was difficult, but she was able to take her time and use the lessons from the first half of the match.

Her route to the biggest final of her career had already tested her. Earlier in the week she beat 2024 Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen and defending champion Leylah Fernandez, then ousted No. 2 seed Elina Svitolina in the quarter-finals and No. 3 seed Naomi Osaka 6-4 6-2 in the semi-finals.

Twelve months ago, Eala came within touching distance of a maiden WTA title at Eastbourne, holding four championship points against Maya Joint before falling in a third-set tiebreak. In Washington she made no mistake, and the reward is a place in the record books: she is the first player from the Philippines, man or woman, to lift a WTA singles trophy. Her victories over Svitolina and Pegula also take her to seven wins against top-10 opponents this season, level with Elena Rybakina and Elina Svitolina, and she is projected to break into the world's top 20 for the first time when the rankings are updated.

"At the beginning of the week, there is no way I would have thought that I would be holding this trophy", Eala said. She admitted her draw had been a steep hill, with every match presenting a different set of obstacles, and said she was "really, really proud". Pegula, the world No. 3, was left to rue a final that slipped away after a dominant opening set: she won just eight points in the third.

Sources

• WTA — Eala's breakthrough is complete with Washington title
• Zazoom — WTA Washington 2026: è Alexandra Eala la vincitrice, Pegula scompare nel terzo set