Eala captures maiden WTA Tour title with stunning comeback over Pegula

Alex Eala completed a remarkable run at the WTA 500 Mubadala Citi DC Open, rallying from a set down to defeat World No. 3 Jessica Pegula, 4-6, 6-4, 6-0, and claim the biggest title of her career on Tuesday morning (Manila time) in Washington, D.C.

The triumph marked the 21-year-old Filipina's first WTA Tour singles title, more than a year after she suffered heartbreak in the 2025 Eastbourne Open final, where she let four championship points slip away.

Eala also became the first Southeast Asian player to win a WTA 500 tournament. Indonesia's Yayuk Basuki and Thailand's Tamarine Tanasugarn won WTA titles before the current tournament classification system, while fellow Indonesian Janice Tjen captured the WTA 250 Chennai Open in 2025.

The championship match was interrupted by a 23-hour rain delay early in the second set, but Eala returned unfazed and produced a dominant finish.

Pegula, the tournament's top seed, claimed the opening set after breaking for a 3-2 lead and winning the final three games following a brief rally from Eala.

Rain then suspended play with the Filipina leading 2-1 in the second set.

When action resumed the following day, Eala quickly rediscovered her rhythm.

The two players remained on serve through the opening eight games before Eala secured the decisive break for a 5-4 advantage. She then held serve to level the match and force a deciding set.

The final set was all Eala.

Displaying confidence and precision from the baseline, she overwhelmed Pegula with aggressive shot-making and relentless pressure, racing to a 6-0 shutout to clinch the championship on her first match point.

Pegula entered the final in outstanding form after winning the WTA 1000 Dubai Tennis Championships and the WTA 500 Charleston Open earlier this season, but she had no answer to Eala's surge.

The title added another milestone to Eala's growing résumé. She improved to 9-4 against Top 10 opponents and avenged her semifinal loss to Pegula at the 2025 Miami Open.

Eala's title run featured victories over some of the biggest names on the WTA Tour.

She opened the tournament by rallying past Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen, 4-6, 6-4, 6-1, before eliminating defending champion Leylah Fernandez, 6-2, 7(7)-6(1). She followed that with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over second seed Elina Svitolina in the quarterfinals and a 6-4, 6-2 triumph over third seed Naomi Osaka in the semifinals.

Fresh off the historic breakthrough, Eala now shifts her focus to the WTA 1000 Canadian Open in Toronto, where she received a first-round bye and is scheduled to begin her campaign in the second round on Wednesday.