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Manila Bulletin devider Sports devider Alex the Giant Slayer: Eala's historic title run in Washington

Alex the Giant Slayer: Eala's historic title run in Washington

Published Aug 4, 2026 09:31 am  |  Updated Aug 4, 2026 01:21 pm

At A Glance

  • Unseeded entering the WTA 500 tournament, the 21-year-old tennis sensation carved a stunning path to history by knocking off one top-ranked opponent after another en route to her first WTA Tour singles title -- the first ever won by a Filipina.
Alex Eala poses with her trophy after winning her breakthrough WTA Tour title in Washington DC. (Mubadala DC Open)
Alex Eala poses with her trophy after winning her breakthrough WTA Tour title in Washington DC. (Mubadala DC Open)
They say the road to the top is never easy, and that certainly rang true in Alex Eala’s journey to her historic title run at the Mubadala DC Open that concluded in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday, Aug. 4 (Philippine time).
Unseeded entering the WTA 500 tournament, the 21-year-old tennis sensation carved a stunning path to history by knocking off one top-ranked opponent after another en route to her first WTA Tour singles title -- the first ever won by a Filipina.
Her giant-killing run began with a gritty comeback over Chinese star Zheng Qinwen, overcoming the reigning Olympic champion’s 14 aces to pull off a 4-6, 6-4, 6-1 victory.
The opening-round triumph set up a showdown with defending champion and 2021 US Open finalist Leylah Fernandez, whom she dethroned in straight sets, 6-2, 7-6 (1), for a spot in the quarterfinals.
Her quarters showdown with second seed and 2020 Tokyo Olympics bronze medalist Elina Svitolina was also never easy, needing to neutralize the Ukrainian’s powerful serve en route to a 6-3, 6-4 win.
The triumph set up her first matchup against third seed and four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka, whom she defeated 6-4, 6-2, for a blockbuster finals showdown with top seed and 2019 champion Jessica Pegula.
More than facing a formidable player in Pegula, Eala had to battle the unpredictable weather caused by intermittent showers. The match itself had already been delayed by nearly three hours before it finally got underway.
Eala was trailing by a set, 4-6, 2-1 on Monday, Aug. 3 after weather conditions forced the match to continue the following day.
The break appeared to work in her favor as she returned with renewed energy, matching Pegula shot for shot before breaking the American’s serve in the pivotal 10th game to take the second set and force a decider.
Buoyed by the second-set comeback and the energy of the crowd, Eala seized control of the decider by overpowering Pegula with relentless baseline hitting.
A wide two-handed backhand from Pegula on championship point handed Eala the title, prompting the Filipina to collapse to her knees as history sank in.
With her feat, Eala continued her meteoric rise on the WTA Tour by soaring to a career-high world No. 20 in the latest rankings, climbing eight spots from No. 28 last week.
She enters the WTA 1000 National Bank Open in Toronto, Canada with renewed confidence this week, where she will be up against a deeper and more formidable field featuring nine of the world's Top 10 players.

Related Tags

Alex Eala Zheng Qinwen Leylah Fernandez Elina Svitolina Naomi Osaka Jessica Pegula Mubadala DC Open WTA
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