Alex Eala won her first WTA title on Monday, beating top seed Jessica Pegula 4-6, 6-4, 6-0 in the DC Open final. At 21, she became the first player from the Philippines to capture a singles championship on the WTA Tour.
To get there, Eala ran through the draw's toughest names. She ousted No. 7 seed Leylah Fernandez in the second round, then took down No. 2 seed Elina Svitolina in the quarterfinals. A semifinal win over No. 3 seed Naomi Osaka set up the title match.
Alex Eala Completes Comeback Over Jessica Pegula in DC Open Final
The final started Sunday but was suspended by rain with Pegula leading a set and holding serve in the second. After the overnight delay, though, Eala came back sharp. She rattled off four straight games to steal the second set, then cruised through the third without dropping a game.
"Thank you to all my supporters, especially the Filipino community here in DC and back home," Eala said in an emotional on-court speech. "Wherever you are in the world, I really feel all the love."
The title pushes Eala's projected WTA ranking to No. 20. She'll next compete in the National Bank Open in Toronto later this week.
