Another historic feat has been made by the Filipina tennis star.
On Tuesday, August 4 (Manila time), the Philippines’ Alex Eala returned to action at the DC Open in Washington, D.C. for the rest resumption of her finals match against USA’s Jessica Pegula.
Prior to the game being halted by rains the day prior, the scoreline was 6-4, 1-2, with Pegula in the lead after winning the first set.
However, once the contest resumed, a much reinvigorated Eala was ready to secure her established dominance in the second set and push it to a decider. That, she was able to accomplish, in spite being met with stiff opposition from the other side of the net.
In the crucial third set, the writing was already on the wall, Alex, with her strong performance throughout the tournament, would be hailed the champion as she went all-in and delivered a relentless 6-0 run to cap both the match and the entire edition of the open.
The final scoreline was 4-6, 6-4, 6-0.
In the post-match interview, Eala shared her thoughts after becoming the first ever Filipino player to ever win in the WTA Tour.
“Before the final yesterday, I got so many messages, sweet messages from my family and my friends who are on tour, wherever else in the world,” she shared. “I thought to myself, I feel so much love.”
“So standing here in the middle of all this love, my first chance at a title, knowing that it won’t be my last, and already having achieved this feat and this milestone for my career, I knew that whatever would have happened after this match, it would have already been a win for me,” she furthered.
Alex also thanked all her supporters, especially the Filipino community in D.C. and back home in the Philippines.
Meanwhile, Pegula also congratulated Eala for an “amazing tournament.”
“I don’t know how much more I can say, but you’re an amazing player and just to see how far you’ve come over the last couple of years when we first played, see the amazing fans that follow you every single place you go, it’s not fun to play against, but I really do appreciate the fun atmosphere,” the player added.
Prior to the DC Open finals, the two last met at the Miami Open 2025 semis, where Jessica defeated Alex to advance to the finals.
Throughout the tournament, Alex defeated Zheng Qinwen, last year’s champion Leylah Fernandez, Elina Svitolina, and Naomi Osaka in the earlier rounds of the competition.
The strong performance that she showed also became key in a major leap to her Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) global rank, with Eala now the new world no. 20, eight spots higher than her previous career-best no. 28 platform, in the singles category.
CONGRATULATORY MESSAGES
Following her historic win, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Tuesday congratulated Alex for her latest achievement, whom lauded for redefining what is possible for Philippine tennis and serving as an inspiration to aspiring athletes across the country.
The President also assured Eala of the nation’s unwavering support as Filipinos celebrate her latest triumph.
“Kasama mo ang sambayanang Pilipino sa pagdiriwang ng bagong tagumpay na ito,” he said.
The Senate Impeachment Court also briefly halted its proceedings on Tuesday morning to express the institution’s congratulatory message for the tennis sensation.
House Speaker Faustino Dy III also shared his message, which read, “Years of sweat and sacrifice resulted in history… Nakakatuwang isipin na ang pinaghirapan ng isang Pilipina ay nakapagpasaya sa milyun-milyong Pilipino.“
“Congratulations on your first WTA title. You make every Filipino proud every time you step on the court. Maraming salamat!” he added.
STRONG YEAR SO FAR
The WTA 500 title adds to Alex’s growing list of milestones. In 2026 alone, she was able to clinch her second WTA 125 title at the Birmingham Open in the United Kingdom.
She also had a strong campaign at the Wimbledon Championships, where she both made headlines for becoming the first seeded Filipino player and also the first one to reach the fourth round.
After DC, Eala is now set to fly up north to participate in the WTA 1000 Canadian Open, where she has received a first round bye and will head straight to the Round of 64 to play either Victoria Jimenez Kasintseva or Alycia Parks.
Apart from that, she is also scheduled to be in Cincinnati and another Grand Slam event through the US Open.
